Revised For You I will
by pumpkinjuice21
Summary: A young woman is transported from our world to Hogwarts against her will. In time she will find her place in this strange world and her fate will be forever linked with that of Severus Snape and Remus Lupin. [AU, SSOC, RLOC, mention of SSLE]
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I do not own the Harry Potter world, or the characters created to live in this world. I do, however, have a great deal of respect for her work and for her characters and will try to portray them with the best of my knowledge.

I have no idea what happened. Really, I just went to sleep. I went to sleep and a moment later I felt as if a semi-truck had run over me. I couldn't open my eyes, couldn't scream, couldn't move… was I in hell? Had I had a stroke while sleeping or something? What happened?

"What is all this about?" I heard a deep, velvety male voice asked me. "Why are you here? Stop laying there and answer me! Hello! Hello? Hello?!? Are you alright? What's happened?" I felt a touch on my arm. I whimpered and tried to move away from the pain, but couldn't.

I felt the person gently roll up my sleeves and heard a slight hiss, "What's happened to you? Come on, let me get you to the hospital wing." The person picked me up, and I bit back the noises that wanted to come out. The last thing I wanted at the moment was to seem like a weakling. After all, I wasn't the first person to ever feel pain.

"Oh! The poor dear! Let me see what's happened to her... Did you find her like this? Where was she?" A woman's voice asked.

The man laid me down and said, "She was just over by the lake, she seems to have… fallen."

"Oh… well, let's see what's happened to her." The person whom I assumed was a doctor or a nurse looked me over.

I heard steps walk away from me, and I assumed it was the man. Who was he?

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"Well, you've come along quite well my dear... considering how bad your injuries were." The nice woman... who said she was… Madame Pomfrey, said while smiling at me.

I looked at her and tried to smile, "I suppose." This had to be the strangest situation I'd ever come across. I knew that I had probably lost my mind, and was still going with my stroke theory. Madame Pomfrey insisted that this was Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. I was sitting in the hospital wing of Hogwarts… This couldn't be possible. No. I was NOT sitting in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. Pretty soon I would wake up, and this would just turn out to be a dream created by too much pizza and overwork. Yeah, that was it.

Personally, I was never a _huge_ fan of the Harry Potter series, considering there were some people who knew more about it than American History and all. Now history I knew about... as long as you didn't ask me for exact dates. In recent years though I'd become more interested in Harry Potter and all that out of curiosity... obviously that was a good thing now. That is, if this… no, it was a dream.

I'd known that Madame Poppy Pomfrey was a nurse, so when she'd first introduced herself the only reason I didn't go screaming into the night was I couldn't walk.

I hadn't been told who my rescuer was, and I wasn't too upset about it. He'd just kind of… dumped me here. Heh, maybe it was Snape. That would explain some things.

If this isn't a dream… and it HAS to be a dream… I don't know what I'll do. I know what goes on at Hogwarts, and I'm not too fond of the possibility of getting avada kadaverad by Voldemort or eaten by a troll. I'm a business major for heaven's sakes! I… I work at a movie theater and go to college. I was going to go into the Peace Corps after college so that I could help people. If this isn't a dream, then my life is over. I'm not cut out to live in a world of wizards and witches, I wouldn't even know how to.

Ok, so I'd know HOW to. I was always sort of a fantasy nerd, dreaming of magical places and having powers. But I'd always known that wasn't reality, and life had shown me that amazing things just didn't happen. People were cruel to each other, they destroyed everything, and then died. All you could do was try and make the world just a little bit nicer and better because of your own actions, with what little power most of us actually have it isn't much and so most of us just… leave the world be.

But now I'm at Hogwarts… if I really am at Hogwarts… and I have no idea why. Why would I possibly be here? I'm not some fangirl who wants to snog one of the characters or anything, how the hell had I gotten enough energy to even…!

"Are you alright Katherine?" Poppy asks me, looking concerned.

I looked up, startled out of my reverie by my name. Katherine… yes, I was Katherine. Katherine Jessie Tingstrom. Named after Katherine Hepburn and my great grandmother. Oh please, let me wake up. "I… I'm not sure if I'm alright. But I'm not in pain, if that's what you meant."

She sighed and sat down next to me, looking at me soulfully, "Everything will be alright."

I chuckled, "Wouldn't that be nice..."

She scrunched her eyebrows together, "What?"

"Anything ever being alright." I said, turning away from her and going back to sleep (which was about all I ever did these days).

Madame Pomfrey sighed, shaking her head, and went back to her office.

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"Miss... Miss?" I heard an elderly man's voice say from behind me.

I turned around and sat up, meeting the kindest eyes I'd ever seen. I knew right away... this was Dumbledore. I knew Dumbledore… he was always so warm and nice. He always seemed to have all the answers. I don't know why, but suddenly some of the tears that I'd been refusing to let go of came down. I choked down a sob and said, "I don't belong here. Can I please go home now?"

He looked at me with sympathy and then wrapped his arms around me, "I'm so sorry Miss Tingstrom."

I shook my head, "Just let me go home."

He pushed me gently away from him and said, "Miss Tingstrom, we have a bit of a situation here. You see… every now and then someone from another… plane… appears in our world. Nobody is quite sure how it happens, but it does. There are some who can willingly go from plane to plane, but it's rare. I'm afraid that you are an unfortunate victim of such an incident."

I looked at him, trying to process this information. Finally I said, "So… you mean… I'm just STUCK here? How can I just be stuck here?"

He shakes his head, "I'm afraid you simply are."

I put my hands to my face and then run them through my hair, I will NOT cry again. No. I am not a weakling, I'm not going to cry. I look at him and say, "Alright. So what do I do now? I don't have a job here and I'm not quite sure how to fit in."

He seems a little surprised at my sudden change of attitude, but then smiles warmly at me. "Well, I've been thinking of that. Do you read often?"

I raise my eyebrows, "Yes, of course."

He nods in approval, "I've been pondering your situation, and thought that since you probably were not from this plane and therefore wouldn't have anyplace to go. You might consider to be our new philosophy professor."

I blinked, "What?"

He nodded, "All you'd have to do is read some philosophy books and make up a lesson. No need to become a philosopher yourself… unless you wanted to that is."

I shook my head, "I don't believe I'm qualified for something like that sir."

He shrugged, "Alright then, I suppose I could find you a job in Diagon Alley. Though, your probable lack of magical skills COULD be a problem."

I stared at him. Was Dumbledore trying to force me to be a philosophy professor? Was I even QUALIFIED to be a professor of ANYTHING? I mean… sure, I'm opinionated as hell and would love to be able to make that kind of difference. But that's a lot of power for someone like me to hold, and I'm not sure I'm… Hell. "I… I'll try it. If I'm not good though, promise me you'll find me a job in the muggle world. Please." I suddenly realized something… how did he know I'd know what Diagon Alley was? And why did I assume he wouldn't be suspicious that I knew what a muggle was?

He nodded happily and said, "Agreed. Now, I believe you should get some more rest, you're not fully recovered yet."

I nodded slowly, what had I just gotten into?

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After a very... _interesting_ ride to Diagon Alley, Dumbledore took me to a clothes shop. I had been taken here in a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt, Dumbledore seemed to think that it was "inappropriate attire". I suppose I can understand that, seeing as I'm going to be a teacher and everything. My mother, who's a teacher herself, wouldn't have worn that to her job.

I always liked the clothes in the Harry Potter world. They were a cool mixture of modern and historical clothing. For myself I chose a burgundy and black peasant dress (something I might have worn at home), and a grey off the shoulder dress that was made out of cotton. Nothing too fancy, I'm not in the running for Miss… well, I guess it would be Miss Great Britain now wouldn't it? I also bought some other necessities for personal hygiene and such as Dumbledore waited outside. But what really surprised me was when Dumbledore took me to a wand store.

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Mr. Olivander got out several wands for me to try and I was surprised that they even reacted to me. Finally Mr. Olivander gave me a wand and I knew... this was mine. Freaky.

Mr. Olivander smiled, "Thirteen inches made of rowan wood with a dragon heartstring. Tell me dear, what is it that you teach at Hogwarts?"

I smiled awkwardly and said, "It'll be philosophy."

Mr. Olivander absolutely grinned, "I guessed as much. I shall have to tell my nephew to take your course Miss. Tingstrom."

I blinked, feeling very confused. "Uhm, that would be lovely. Thank you."

When we got out I said, "Why does he think I'll make a good philosophy professor?"

He smiled at me, "You can understand a great deal about a person from the wand they are meant for."

I gave him a scrutinizing look, "Oh? Will it tell me whether I'll be meeting a tall, dark, and handsome stranger soon too? Or perhaps that I'll live to two hundred? Because that would be impressive." I didn't mean to be sarcastic and rude, but this is all just getting to be too much for me.

He sighed and said, "Katherine, sarcasm doesn't suit you."

I blinked, but then couldn't help but blush and feel a tad guilty. "I've heard that before… sorry."

He smiled at me, "Quite all right."

I smiled at him, "Thank you Dumbledore… for everything."

He smiled warmly at me, "Trust me, it's my pleasure."

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I came back to Hogwarts with my booty, and Dumbledore led me to where I'd be staying. "This shall be where you live and teach." Dumbledore said, opening the door into a classroom.

I put down my bags and gawked at the room. The classroom... it was... wonderful. It was all brick walls, but the walls were covered in paintings of heros and philosophers (living paintings of course) as well as tapestries depicting ancient battles. There were stone heads of philosophers (I didn't want to think right now about whether they were alive or not) as well as bookshelves full of more books than you could read in a lifetime. Paradise in my view. There was a large mahogony desk and the big, beautiful windows had lovely red muslin curtains that made them look like something out of a... well of course. It was a fairly large classroom, and it felt very open to me. Something about it… it was like… I was meant to be there. Everything looked like something I would have picked out for the room myself. I stared at Dumbledore.

He chuckled, "I thought you would like it."

I gulped and nodded.

He picked up some bags and led me to my bedroom. "You will sleep in here. You have a bathroom through that door, and your office is through the other door."

I looked around and saw that there was a large window with maroon curtains, there was a mahogany four poster bed with maroon bed curtains, and a mahogany bookcase and wardrobe. There was also an overstuffed comfort chair that had a small table with a stained glass lamp on it. Overall, it was very comfortable and homey.

The bathroom had the usual things in it. There was the toilet, a sink, and a four legged bathtub. All of it was white and clean, for an old castle everything was certainly in better condition than it was in _my_ house.

I looked in my office and smiled. It was a circular room filled with mahogony bookcases that were brimming with books. There was one small painting of an elegant woman on a horse, seeming to ride into battle. I liked that. There was a large window with the same red muslin curtains that was right behind my mahogony desk. I must admit that I liked all of it very much. I turned and smiled at Dumbledore, "Thank you Headmaster."

He smiled, "You're very welcome. Now, you might want to freshen up and change clothes. The students will be coming soon."

I nodded in understanding.

After he left I bathed and changed into my black and maroon dress. I pulled my hair back off my face (although some strands still fell down onto the side of my face). I also put on the black ballerina flats and silver spectacles I'd gotten (I was near sighted and I'd left my glasses in reality). I looked down at my wrist and smiled, I'd been wearing my charm bracelet (as usual) when I left and so I still had it. It was the only link to my real life other than my clothes and wallet I had, but it was the one that meant the most to me. It was made out of the square Italian charms, with some that had dangling charms attached. It symbolized the last year I'd had, with charms from my travels and things that meant a lot to me (like my favorite painting and my mother's motto for me "believe"). My mother had made it for me, and there was no way I'd ever let anyone take it from me.

I read a little bit from a book of philosophy I'd found until I heard a knock at the door. I opened up the door to my office (the room I was in) and smiled at the person behind it. He had light brown hair that had grey in it, kind eyes, and a warm smile. "Hello, Miss Tingstrom I presume?" He asked.

I nodded.

He smiled, "I'm Professor Lupin, you may call me Remus if you like. I'm here to take you to the great hall. The headmaster thought it might be a good idea, since you are new to Hogwarts."

I smiled, "Thank you Remus."

He smiled, "No problem. Shall we go?"

I nodded and followed him to the great hall. As we walked I found myself staring at him out of the corner of my eye. I always liked Remus Lupin, and respected him very deeply. The way he was nice to everyone and was such a strong person, especially with all he had to deal with, as well as being so very intelligent made him someone I could definitely stand behind. Maybe he and I could be friends. I would like that. We could talk to one another, help one another, then maybe this world wouldn't be so hard for us both.

He turned and smiled at me, "So Miss Tingstrom…"

I smiled, "Please, call me Katherine."

His smile got bigger, "Katherine… how do you like Hogwarts so far?"

I looked around at the gigantic hallways filled with large windows that looked out at the beautiful landscape. They certainly didn't have anything like this in Ohio, "It's certainly been an experience."

He nodded, "I should think so. May I ask where you're from?"

I smiled, rather pleased that he couldn't tell, "I'm from the States actually."

He seemed surprised, "Really? Might I ask why you decided to teach here instead of a school over there?"

I opened my mouth, closed it, then opened it up again to say, "Strong forces determined that this was the place for me to be."

He raised his eyebrows.

I blushed just a little bit, "I'm sorry, I just… don't have a better explination than that."

He nodded in understanding, and I appreciated that.

"So… what about you? Why are you here?" I asked, smiling genuinely at him.

He smiled, "The headmaster had the Defense position open, and believed that I would be a good fit for it. I'm very grateful for it, this job is a godsend."

I grinned, "Well, then I'm glad you got it. I don't know you very well, but you seem intelligent and kind enough. It's always been my belief that good things should happen to those who try to be good… I know it doesn't work that way usually but one can hope."

He laughed and said, "Why thank you, Katherine. I'd have to say you seem rather kind and intelligent yourself."

I smiled, "Thank you."

He nodded, "You're welcome. Maybe you and I should join forces this year and help one another with our new teaching careers."

I grinned, "I'd like that."

He smiled warmly, "Me too."

For the rest of the way there we talked about our lives before teaching, neither one of us going into to much detail, and shared our interests. We seemed to have a great deal in common, and I was feeling more at ease with my fate as the moments ran on.

When we got to the Great Hall, Remus pulled out a chair for me and I sat down. Remus then sat down next to a man whom I knew right away was Severus Snape. All I could think was, "Wow…" I will admit, his hair is kind of greasy, but not overly so. Mostly it just looks soft, and is down to his shoulders. His skin IS a little sallow, but it's mostly just pale and he's probably not the type of man who has a balanced diet and along with being hunched over potions all day he can't really be expected to have perfect skin now can he? But overall… wow. I always liked men with kind of beaky noses, don't ask me why, and his facial features… I don't know why people call him ugly. He's… wow. Those black eyes, they're turned toward his food and he seems to be in thought. Well, of course.

I couldn't help but smile, I always liked Snape too. In fact, even from the first movie, I thought he was great and liked his blunt, intelligent ways. I agree with him that Harry Potter doesn't need to be treated like he can do no wrong, he IS just a child… and an impetuous one at that. Now that I'm in his presence though, there's something about him, something more than just admiration.

I frown, no. No, I don't know the man and although what I know about him I like I refuse to start having some sort of… girlish crush on the man and that's that. Probably would help if I'd stop staring at him though. Yep, do that right now.

I look away.

Remus smiled at me and said, "I don't believe you've been introduced to Professor Snape."

I shook my head, not wanting too look at Snape again but forced to.

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes at me, "What is all this about?"

"Severus, this is the new philosophy professor Katherine Tingstrom." Remus said politely.

"We don't _have_ a philosophy course at Hogwarts." Severus said, obviously annoyed.

"Dumbledore just created it." I said awkwardly, trying to be helpful.

He snorted, "Yes, and you seem like the perfect person for the job."

I raised an eyebrow. Ok, that was more than a little insulting. "And whom, might I ask, are you to judge whether I am adequately enlightened or not? All I know is that I was chosen for the job and I aim to do it."

He seemed surprised by my reaction for about a nanosecond, then frowned at me and said, "We shall see then." He then pointedly ignored me.

A lesser woman would have stuck out her tongue or flicked him off... or both. I just narrowed my eyes and decided to ignore him.

I turned back to Remus who seemed to be holding back a chuckle, "Well, that was interesting..."

I raised both eyebrows, "What?"

He just smiled, "I personally believe that you will be a lovely philosophy teacher."

I smiled, "Thank you."

He smiled back, "You're welcome."

After that, the children came in for Dumbledore's speech and the feast. Severus ignored me for the rest of the evening, which I didn't really mind. Sexy or not, I'm not sure how much I'll like him in real life. But Remus and I were turning into fast friends, maybe all of this wouldn't be so bad after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to JK Rowling. However, I hold the highest respect for her characters and works and will do my best to portray them as well as possible.

I was reading one of my philosophy books, nervous as hell, when my first batch of students filed in. I looked up from my book and tried to steady myself. I've never taught before, and I hadn't really thought that it was my calling after thinking about it. But, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do… right?

I looked around the room and recognized a few of the students (although they looked different than what I'd imagined). There was Hermione Granger right up front, looking sort of smug for some reason. Please Hermione, I like you, don't make me hurt you.

Then there was... NEVILLE!!!! Oh lord, I love Neville, I'll try to make sure that he gets an A. Neville looked so shy and unsure that I kind of wanted to give him a hug, but I didn't. I just made eye contact with him and gave him a reassuring smile; he blushed but smiled shyly in return.

Then there was... shit... Draco Malfoy and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle. What was their last name again? Oh wait... those _were_ their last names right? Poor things, poor awful, ugly little things. They really were ugly in real life, poor, poor dears. If I didn't rather dislike them I'd feel genuinely sorry for them, but since they're so nasty I can't help but think it's just karma. Draco made eye contact with me and winked. I gave him a look that had made better men than him pee in their pants and slammed my book shut with one hand. He jumped just a little. I don't HATE Draco, but I'm not going to put up with his crap. I especially won't abide him flirting with me.

After everyone had come in I took a deep breath and stood up. I'd decided to try and actually teach them from my point of view as well as the normal philosophers. Please, goodness, don't let me scar young minds! I cleared my throat and said, "My name is Professor Tingstrom and this is Philosophy. Just so you know I will have _no_ bullying, pranking, insulting, biggotry or any other form of malice in my classroom. I assure you, I have _no_ tolerance for that sort of thing and it will put you firmly on my bad side." I glared, "And you do _not_ want to be on my bad side." I looked around and once I was satisfied that I had made my point I brightened up just enough for it to be scary as I said, "But other than that, I hope that we can have fun in this class. This class is _not_ about me telling you what to think, it's about me telling you how to think for yourself. This world is a harsh, cruel place and you must be armed with a steel will and know exactly where you stand or else you might just get eaten up by it. We are defined by the choices that we make, and I am going to try and help you learn how to make the right choices. Is this all understood?"

"Yes Professor..." The class chimed.

I smiled, that was promising, "Good." I brought out a box that I had prepared earlier. Out of the box I pulled a beautiful, just about perfect, red rose. I held it up for everyone to see, "I assume that everyone knows what this is?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Now, you would probably define this rose as beautiful, romantic, elegant, so on and so forth I imagine."

The class nodded and one girl smiled and said, "Roses are my favorite! I have a garden of them at home!"

I smiled, "That's very nice miss...?"

She grinned, "Ashby! Lilac Ashby!"

I nodded, "Well Miss Ashby, it would be safe to assume that you feel somewhat dedicated to roses then? They hold a deeper meaning to you than just a flower?"

"Oh yes, I love them!" She practically sang.

"That's lovely." I smiled. Then I turned and threw it into the fire.

Lilac squealed just a little, and then held it back.

I turned and raised an eyebrow, "What? You're going to just sit there? I just threw one of your beloved roses into the fire and you're going to just sit there?"

She blushed and looked down.

"No, don't look down while I'm talking to you!"

She looked back up at me, crying a little.

"That's better." I walked over to the box again. I brought out a book, "What about this? It's Romeo and Juliet, a beautiful old love story. I assume that some of you have read it?"

A great deal of girls looked at me wide eyed as they nodded.

"Yes a great love story, telling about the power of love. What lies, right? I mean, true love and all that is just a bunch of fairy tales. Don't you think so? I mean, why on earth would you buy into that?"

A great deal of people narrowed their eyes at me.

"Yes, so basically... this is just trash? I think I'll treat it that way..." I threw it into the fire.

Someone stood up.

I smirked, "Was there something you wanted to say?"

They sat back down.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, how disappointing." I walked over to a box and brought out a kitten. "Isn't she cute?"

Hermione stood up and screamed, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!"

I smirked, "Really? Why not Miss Granger?"

She gulped, "It's wrong! That's a living thing?"

"So?"

"So... it's wrong to kill."

I smiled genuinely, "Very good Miss Granger." I handed her the kitten. I turned and went to my desk, sitting on it. I looked around, "Now, what did you learn?" Nobody made any kind of movement. "Was that to show my level of cynicism? To show my sadism? To tell you that what I destroyed was garbage? What was the lesson?"

"To... see when we'd stop you?" Neville stuttered out shyly.

I grinned, "Very good Mr. Longbottom. I picked out things that were beautiful, things that I knew someone would cherish, and threatened to or did destroy them. Why? Not to show how horrible I was, but to see how horrible things would get before you said something. And isn't it sad? I destroyed beauty and love before any one of you were even brave enough to stand up. _Nobody_ has the right to destroy the things that you love, nobody. There is not a person that can _make_ you do something without your permission. The only way that anyone can make you do something is if you let them. Only you can decide what is worth fighting for, worth living for... worth dying for. If you just stand around, silent, as someone does something that you believe is _wrong_ then you are no better than them. In fact, you might just be worse. If we remain silent in the face of evil then what does that make us? Evil? Maybe not. But it doesn't make us good either. If someone is trying to make you do something that you don't want to, I don't care who it is, you have the right and duty to yourself to say no and walk away. It might make things a little uneasy for you for a while, but in the end you were true to yourself and that's what matters. Life is not some string of individual choices; what you stand for, or don't stand for today effects your tomorrow. If you've made a bad choice yesterday, then you need to fix it today. Life is all about chances. It's all about change. We must be the change we want to see in the world, and to stay silent in the face of something we disagree with is _not good enough_." I looked at the clock. "And it's time for your next class." I sat down behind my desk.

The students were sitting there, spellbound.

I raised my eyebrows, "Well… go on then."

The students seemed to wake from their dream like state and gathered up their things.

After everyone else had left Hermione walked up to my desk and handed me the kitten. Then she just looked at me.

I raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

She tilted her head, "Would you have really hurt the kitten?"

I smirked, "What do you think?"

She smiled, "I don't think you would have."

I shook my head, but couldn't help but smile, "Well, thanks to you... we'll never find out. Will we?"

She smiled, nodding, and left my classroom.

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I was walking in the halls when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and smiled at the person, it was Remus.

He smiled at me, "I hear you gave an interesting performance in class today... something about a kitten?"

I blushed and gave a guilty smile, shrugging, "Just making a point."

He nodded, "And what was that? That they should stand up against a professor?"

"No, that they need to stand up for what they believe in. Even if it is a professor." I said, wondering what the hell he was talking about.

He nodded, seeming thoughtful, "Well, from what I hear... the point was taken. I've had to give out several detentions due to children in your classroom standing up to bullies… to the point of hexing each other."

I gaped, then shut my mouth and just blinked at him a moment, "I didn't mean for them to be VIOLENT! I just didn't want them to cower in fear or anything. You know, stand up for themselves. There's nothing wrong with wanting children to stand up for themselves."

"No, there isn't. But maybe you should be a little more specific next time?" He was smiling just a little so I decided that he must not be too angry with me.

"I'll certainly take it into consideration." I said, more firmly than the statement implied.

He smiled more openly at me and asked, "How about some tea?"

I smiled and nodded, "Yes, that would be lovely."

Before we could move we heard a growingly familiar voice growl, "Professor Tingstrom!"

I turned around and raised my eyebrows. What the hell did Mr. Snark Pants want?

Professor Snape glared at us, "Might I ask, _Professor_ Tingstrom, why my students suddenly decided that it was appropriate for them to talk back to me? They claimed that they had your permission to do so. Are you always this respectful of your collegues, or did I just happen to have a stroke of luck?"

I raised my eyebrows. Oh yeah… should have thought of that. "I'm sorry Professor Snape, I hadn't meant for my lesson to be construed that way. I promise to try and fix the damage in tomorrow's lesson."

He scowled at me, "You'd bloody well better!"

I couldn't help but frown, "I will!"

He practically bared his teeth, "Good!"

"Good!" I hissed, "Now if that's all would you mind shoving off?"

He sneered, "As if I would wish to spend a moment longer in such company." He turned around and stormed off, his black robes billowing. I'd have been impressed, if I wasn't considering the purchase of a bazooka at the moment.

Remus chuckled, "Same old Severus."

"Bloody git…" I grumbled. Then I smiled apologetically at Remus, "Now… about the tea?"

He smiled and said, "Follow me."

I nodded and followed him to his quarters. So I made a mistake, that didn't mean that Snape had the right to be so damn… well, really, what else had I expected from someone constantly insulted. Still… I looked back at him and couldn't help but smile… just a little. Even when directed at me… his snarkiness was rather… enduring. And he was awfully fun to fight with. No… bad Katherine… you have enough trouble as it is. The LAST thing you need is to start making goo goo eyes at Severus Snape.

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The next day in class I had more students. The ones I recognized most were Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Seamus Finnegan, and Ginny Weasley. Damn, what was this? Dumbledore's Army anonymous. All those people were in Dumbledore's Army right?

I smiled pleasantly enough at the class, although I was more than a little enraged at their behavior, "Well, I've heard some… interesting stories from yesterday and today. It seems that a great deal of you listened to what I said… somewhat."

"We listened to everything!" Lilac said excitedly.

I raised my eyebrows, " You did, did you? Well, obviously, I didn't point out that it's not enough just to stand up for what you believe in. You must also learn to pick your battles, and how to fight those battles that you engage in. Yes, you must stand up for what you believe in, but there are ways to do it. Also, you can't fight _every_ battle. Such as… say… a Professor is being rude. As much as you want to, you shouldn't talk back or insult them. Not only will it just get you detention, but you've also sunken to their level. There is a way to fight that battle. Usually, it's being so damn polite and obedient that it just infuriates them. Furthermore, if you see a friend getting bullied or you are getting bullied, you say what you need to get them to stop and/or you just get away from the situation. The only reason you should ever have to resort to violence is if there is no other way. Violence only begets more violence." I gave them a serious look, "And _none_ of us want that, do we?"

They looked at me, seeming ashamed, and shook their heads while some whispered, "No."

I sniffed, "Alright then. Let's begin today's other lesson."

-----------------------------------

"Well, whatever you said to them worked. I haven't had to give anyone detention today." Remus said, sitting on my desk as I made a homework assignment for the next day.

I smiled up at him, "That's good. I'm sorry that I made yesterday so awful for everyone."

He shook his head, "There is no need to apologize. You did a good thing and I'm very pleased that you've been able to make a difference so far."

I frowned, "Hopefully it will stick with them."

He gave me a crooked smile, but his eyes were thoughtful, "I hope so too. There's so much ugliness in the world, it would be nice to stop at least some of it."

I nodded.

Someone ran through the hall and then backed up and looked into the room, smiling. It was Harry Potter. He smiled at us as he walked in and said, "Uhm, Professor Lupin? Can I talk with you?"

He smiled, "Certainly Harry, what do you need?"

Harry blushed, looking at me, then back to him. "In private please."

I smiled at him, then at Remus, "It's alright Remus. I'll talk to you over supper."

"Are you sure?" He asked, seeming to feel guilty.

I smiled and nodded, "Of course, Mr. Potter obviously has something vital to speak about with you."

Remus nodded and said, "Alright then, I'll talk to you tonight."

I smiled and said, "Yes, tonight."

He smiled and reluctantly left.

Harry smiled and waved to me as he walked away.

I smiled and waved back.

--------------------------------

That night after supper I went for a walk outside by the lake. How did I end up here at Hogwarts? Of all the places… why couldn't I be transported somewhere nice? Somewhere that's culture called for everyone to live a green lifestyle and be nice to animals and each other? Where wars were fought between the politicians and not the citizens? Where people didn't care about the color of your skin or your sex, because everyone was supposed to contribute equally and was therefore equally respected as long as you did your part?

No, I couldn't be transported somewhere like that. I had to be transported to yet another place where everybody hated everybody else and kept secrets as if they were air. Oh lord… sometimes I just don't know how I'm going to do this! How am I supposed to pull this charade off? I don't _belong_ here! These aren't my people, and this isn't my culture! I can't do magic, I'm not affiliated with any groups. I'm just a girl from Ohio who had trouble keeping everything together when her life was boring.

I sighed and looked up at the sky. I could say one thing for Hogwarts, the sky was gorgeous. Unlike my house in the suburbs the sky was full of stars here and I could see the constellations as well as other solar systems. I smiled, I loved the stars. Everything about them was so... how can you even describe it? All those planets and stars floating out there with no mind whatsoever to what happened down here. Just lazily being powerful and beautiful, with no mind to where they'd end up in their very long life. Why couldn't I be like that? Just... be powerful and beautiful, and not worry about anything else? Just... be.

"Might I ask what you're doing, sneaking around outside like some sort of bandit?" I heard Severus say from behind me.

I turned around and looked at him. I just… I just wasn't in the mood to fight him right now, "I'm just thinking Professor Snape. I promise not to pollute the black lake or anything, if that's what you're thinking."

He snorted, "Somehow I find it hard to imagine that someone like you would need solitude to do what little thinking…"

"You don't know me. You don't know me at all, and I would appreciate it if you didn't assume that you did. I'll have you know that I always have quite a lot of thinking to do, and I enjoy solitude very much. Solitude that, I must remind you, you have so _pleasantly_ invaded. As long as we're discussing reasons for being outside, what brings _you_ out here Professor Snape?" I said, not as calm as I had intended. What _was_ it about this man that just… pushed my buttons?

He looked like he was going to give me a good tongue lashing, and then seemed to think better of it. Finally just saying, "Some potions are dictated by the stars. I was merely checking their stages."

That stopped me in my tracks. I blinked at him, "Potions are… dictated by the stars?"

He snorted, "I believe I just said that, or is there an echo?"

I couldn't help it, a small smile forced it's way onto my face. "That's… wonderful. I never knew that, but it… it makes sense."

He seemed a bit taken aback but then frowned and said, "It is no secret Professor Tingstrom, and you should have learned such information in your advanced potions class. But, my guess is you were never able to grasp the art of potion making."

I shook my head, "No, I was quite good at that sort of subject. I just was never taught… that." I looked up at him, "Are there books that talk about potions that are dictated by the stars? I'd like to read that."

Again, he paused before frowning and seeming annoyed. "I am _not_ a librarian Professor Tingstrom. If you want a book on the subject, look in the library upstairs."

I smiled, "I will, thank you."

He nodded sharply and turned to go, "You can call me Katherine by the way, if you want to."

He turned his head slightly, not really looking at me, and then turned back and walked away as he said, "Goodnight Professor Tingstrom."

I smiled and said very quietly, "Goodnight Severus." You know, for a moment there… it was almost as if we hadn't hated each other.

I liked it.

I shouldn't like it though.

Bad Katherine.

--------------------------------

The next day in class Ron walked in holding "Scabbers". I looked at the dirty stinking rat thoughtfully. I'd been reading a book on transfiguration and had found a spell that cold turn a transfigured person back to their normal form.

It was worth a shot.

"Mr. Weasley, mind if I see your rat for a moment?" I asked sweetly.

He smiled and said, "Of course!" He handed it to me.

Lord, I hope this works. I waved my wand and said the spell, making the rat turn into Peter Pettigrew. He looked around frantically and then tried to run. I shook myself out of the astonishment I felt that it worked and grabbed his neck while hissing, "You're not going anywhere!" I looked up at Neville, "Mr. Longbottom, would you be a dear and go get the headmaster for me?"

He nodded and then ran off to the headmaster's office.

"Please, let me go!" Peter whined. Ewwww, rat breath! Hadn't he ever brushed his teeth?

Ron looked horrified, "Scabbers?"

I looked at Ron sympathetically, "I'll get you a new pet Ronald, I promise. One that won't turn back into a human."

He looked at me helplessly.

Dumbledore came storming in, "What is this all about... Peter Pettigrew?"

Pettigrew looked horrified, as he should.

"Uhm… can you please… uh… do something with him?" I asked, more than a little bewildered. I'd actually done magic. _Me_! It was almost too much to comprehend.

Albus nodded and did a spell that made Pettigrew freeze, then he called some other professors to come haul him out.

I looked around the class and saw a bunch of really confused students, "Uhm... today's lesson... never judge a book by it's cover. Class dismissed."

They all ran out of the classroom and I took a much needed sit. Why did I have a sudden feeling that things were going to get a lot stranger from here on in?


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. But I will do my best to portray them as accurately as possible.

"How did you know that the rat was Peter Pettigrew?" Remus asked me, dumbfounded, as I blushed over my tea.

I shrugged and said, "Uhm… intuition?"

He gave me a look.

I just sipped my tea.

He rolled his eyes and said, "Alright, don't tell me then."

I looked at him sweetly, "Sorry."

He nodded and drank his tea; I could see his expression change from curious to 'let's change the subject'. "Thank you, by the way, for doing that. My old friend… Sirius Black, I thought he'd…"

I looked up at him sympathetically.

He shook his head and took another sip, "Anyway, he's been exonerated from all charges. He says he'd like to meet you."

I tried not to groan, "Well… that would be fine I suppose."

He raised an eyebrow, "You don't want to meet him?"

No I don't want to meet the nasty, immature, bullying hound! He'd probably patronize me to death, the bastard. At least when Snape's mean and patronizing it's entertaining and highly intelligent. sigh Life was much easier before I knew who everyone I met was ahead of time. "Why wouldn't I?"

He looked at me suspiciously, but dropped yet another subject. Then he eventually looked at me fondly and said, "So how are you holding up to all the attention?"

I sighed and said, "How do you think? I hate being in the spotlight."

He nodded, "I can understand that."

I smiled slightly at him, "I'm glad I have you to talk to, you've never treated me… oddly." I laughed, "You and Snape."

He chuckled, "Yes, we both have a rather standard way of treating people." He looked at me sweetly, "With exceptions of course."

I blushed and said, "Uhm… yes." I don't get it. Remus Lupin is totally the type of man I should fall desperately in love with. He's kind, warm, charming, intelligent… not to mention he likes chocolate… he's perfect. And yet, when I'm around him and he starts to be flirtatious I just feel like hiding away.

Why can't I just want to run away when Snape comes around? Why can't I ever want to avoid HIM? He's nasty and mean; he hates the people I like; why on earth is it that every time he comes around my whole being screams, "YAY! I wonder what we're going to argue about TODAY!" It shouldn't be like that, and I certainly shouldn't be watching him leave as he walks away. I especially should watch that specific _part_ of Snape as he walks away. It's just… pathetic.

"What are you thinking about?" Remus asks, and I suddenly realize that he's been saying something I wasn't paying attention to.

I blush and say, "Just thinking about all that's happened."

He smiled empathetically, "I understand."

Oh lord, I hope not. Please, please, please let me fall in love with Remus if I must fall in love. Don't make me fall in love with Snape; I don't think I could take it. Snape will never love me, I can't love him. Shit…

---------------------------------------

"Well, your life should be complete now. You've managed to become the school hero and now all the good little Griffendors will come running to you like moths to a light." Snape sneered at me as I walked down the halls.

I sighed, I really don't need this today, "Believe what you want Professor Snape, it won't make it true."

He frowned, "It's precisely true."

I turned and glared at him, "Believe it or not Snape, I don't go around acting the hero all the time. I have no delusions of grandeur about being some sort of woman warrior. I'm a philosophy professor, and I'm not completely sure I'm even a very good one. I don't get into fights deliberately, I try to be polite if possible, and if a monster was coming after me I'd probably run since I don't know any good monster fighting spells. Don't get me wrong, I'll protect people I care about and those that just need protecting even if it might get me into trouble. I stand up for what I believe in and I'm honest even if it won't pay off for me. But none of that equates a hero in my book, and I certainly am not the type of person who would be reveling in my heroics even if I was. Quite frankly, right now I want to be left the hell alone and I happily include you in that statement. So if you'll excuse me..."

He scowled at me, "I'm not completely sure whether you're better than Potter or worse."

I sighed and looked up at him, and for a moment when I met his onyx eyes I could have sworn I saw a brief flash of some kind of emotion, "I don't care about better or worse Severus. I'm not here to impress you or anyone. I'm just here, and I'm just myself. If that makes me wonderous to others or a first class villain it doesn't really matter, I'm going to be annoyed either way. Now please, just go away."

His face was a blank slate as I walked away.

-------------------------------------------

"I'm proud of you Katherine, you've captured Peter Pettigrew and freed the innocent Sirius Black. How do you feel?" Dumbledore asked, pouring me some earl grey.

I sighed and took the tea, taking a small sip before saying, "Like crawling into a damp hole in the ground would be an immensely appealing prospect."

He chuckled and offered me some biscuits, I refused them with a wave of my hand. "You'll get used to this sort of attention."

That certainly woke me up, "The bloody hell I will! Why would I have to get used to attention?"

Dumbledore sipped his tea casually, "Because for a person like you, it's fate."

"Now that's just ridiculous," I grumbled as I took another sip of tea.

He smiled warmly at me, "You're an intelligent, beautiful woman who loves to help others. A person like that is bound to get some attention."

"You could have fooled me. I've had a perfectly easy time blending into the background before." I won't even comment on the beautiful thing. Beautiful… pah!

"Well, you're in Hogwarts now. Are you sure you don't want a biscuit?" Dumbledore asked, holding out the plate for me again.

"No, thank you but I'm not in the mood for sweets Headmaster." I said, trying not to sound as irritated as I was.

He smiled, "Please, feel free to call me Albus." He had a twinkle in his eyes. Why did that put me on my guard?

"Alright… Albus. Uhm… I think I should probably go. Lesson plans and all that..." I said, standing up.

He nodded, "Quite. Good luck with that."

"Thank you, have a good day Albus." That still sounded strange.

"Oh, and Katherine?" He said as I was at the door.

"Hmmm?" I turned.

He smiled, "Don't give up hope."

I frowned slightly, what the hell was he talking about? "Uhm… alright?"

He smiled, "Good."

I gave him a look but decided to just forget about it and go back to my rooms where it was relatively sane… for a place that had talking paintings.

---------------------------------------

"Professor Tingstrom?" Neville Longbottom asked as he inched slowly into my office.

I smiled at him, "Yes Mr. Longbottom?"

He smiled slightly and came up to my desk, "I was wondering… uhm… A boy around school keeps picking on me. I've tried to ignore him, and I've also tried to stand up to him… but he keeps on hexing me! Anyway… I was… wondering… what should I do?"

I looked at him sympathetically. Lord knew I wasn't anyone to ask about a solution to a bullying problem, my school days had been full of being constantly victimized as well. But maybe I could help him out, just a little. "Come, sit down." I brought out the box of candy that I'd gotten at Honeydukes from my desk. I don't know why I got so much, I'll never eat it all myself. I suppose I must have subconsciously known I'd need it for just such an occasion. "Help yourself to some candy and I'll go see what I can find for a solution to the problem."

He looked at me oddly, "You mean… you don't know?"

I smiled at him, "Mr. Longbottom, I have already given you all the advice I know on how to deal with a bully. Nobody can know everything. So in times like this I always say… go ask someone or something that might have a different answer. If nothing else, it'll make us feel like we tried."

He smiled slightly, but said, "You don't have to do all this for me. I can deal with it."

I shook my head, "I'm your teacher, and I refuse to sit idly by and not even attempt to help you with a problem. It just isn't in my nature."

He smiled at me fully, but didn't comment.

For the next few hours Neville and I ate candy and looked over different spells and techniques to fight off bullies. Some were good, some were ridiculous and made us laugh, but more than anything it was a chance to help Neville feel as if somebody cared about him and his problems. Children in a situation like that… they need to know that somebody cares. So I was glad to help Neville. Even if I had gotten nothing out of the situation, and I got a great deal out of it I assure you, it was time with someone who didn't mention Peter Pettigrew once.


	4. Chapter 4

"What is the meaning of this?!?!?!" I scream as I walk up to a group of boys that are surrounding a blonde girl and calling her 'Loony Lovegood'. Wait… I've heard that name before… Luna Lovegood! Those _bastards_!!!!!!

Luna looks up at me helplessly as the slytherin boys part away and sneer at me, "Just talking to the girl Professor. No harm in that." One of the cheekier ones said.

I wrapped an arm around Luna and moved her away from the group, feeling like a mother bear who's cub was threatened. Luna is a perfectly lovely crazy person _and I will not have them harassing her!!!!!!_ "It certainly is harmful if you insist upon being crude about it. Honestly, loony Lovegood? Can't you come up with anything more clever than that?" Before they could say anything I said, "Not that I care; If I ever catch you harassing someone again I will throw you in detention until you grow grey hair. Is that understood?"

They went wide eyed and eventually mumbled, "Yes Ma'm."

I pointed towards the hallway, and they took the hint.

Luna looked up at me and said, "You didn't have to do that."

I shrugged, "Sorry, if you want we can look up some good hexes in case they want to be gits about it."

She just stared at me for a moment and then just kind of snorted and said, "Thanks for defending me."

I smiled, "Ahhhh, nothing to defend my dear. We loonies need to stick together."

She laughed.

I put a hand on her shoulder and said as I led her towards my office, "Come now, tell me why they were calling you Loony Lovegood. Anything interesting?"

"Well…" She started.

What I didn't realize was that someone was watching the entire situation.

--------------------------------------------------

"Ah! There you are my dear! I would like you to meet Mr. Sirius Black." Albus said as I walked through the door to his office.

I raised an eyebrow and looked to where Albus was motioning. Sirius had obviously cleaned himself up quite a bit, considering how he'd been shown in the movie, and was wearing clean clothes and his hair was pulled back with his beard trimmed. He was beaming at me and came up to me in a way that made me think he wanted me to fall in love with him at first sight. Dear lord, sometimes I hate men. He held out his hand and said, "Hello, it's an honor to meet you Professor Tingstrom. I hear that you're the one who finally caught Peter Pettigrew. I must thank you for that."

I took his hand and said, "You're welcome."

He smiled into my eyes and said, "I hear you've been trying to teach the children how to stand up for themselves."

I shrugged, "Well, between Professor Lupin and I one can only hope we'd be making progress."

He nodded, "Yes, how is Remus anyway?"

I raised my eyebrow, "One would _think_ he would be the first person you'd see."

A brief flash of shame crossed over his eyes and then he said, "Yes well… that's a bit complicated."

I shrugged, "Everything is complicated, but that's no excuse for not doing it."

He raised his eyebrows, "I'm getting the hint that you're not a woman that is easily impressed…"

"Or dealt with. No Mr. Black, I am indeed a horrendous woman who most men probably believe needs to be shot. Was there supposed to be a point to that train of thought?"

He smiled, "I think I like you Professor Tingstrom, you have spirit."

I raised an eyebrow, "How… uhm… nice?"

He smiled and rubbed his thumb over my hand, "Maybe we could talk later? Alone?"

I took my hand away, "I'm sorry Mr. Black, but I'm busy later?"

"What about…?"

I put up a hand, "Not to be rude… but you can consider it a _standing_ I'm busy."

He looked shocked, "Oh…"

I looked at the clock and put a hand to my mouth, "Oh dear! I'm late for class! Excuse me!" I waved to Albus and then ran out of the room while trying not to trip over my dress.

-----------------------------------------

I was grading papers in my room when I heard a somewhat familiar voice say, "Am I interrupting anything?" I looked up at Sirius Black, he smiled at me, "Hello again."

I raised an eyebrow, "Hello."

He smiled and came up to my desk, sitting in the chair in front of it, "I know you said you were busy, but maybe I could keep you company?"

I sighed. I really probably _should_ find this cute… but I don't. Come on now Katherine, you're not a rude person. You're very kind and sweet, with the patience of a saint; now act like it. "Alright."

He grinned and said, "Great! So, what are you doing?"

I raised my eyebrows, "Finding the cure for the crucio curse."

He went wide eyed, "Really?!?"

I rolled my eyes, "Sarcasm goes right over your head, doesn't it?" Knowing he's a character known for his sarcasm, that's probably a big insult.

He frowned at me, "Hardly."

I shrugged, "Unfortunately, I'm just grading papers."

"Can I help?"

"Are you known for your prowess in philosophy?"

"Not particularly…"

I sighed and took a deep breath. Come now, bitch alert… bitch alert… "I don't have a grading key for any of this. They're essays… this _is_ a philosophy class… If I give you a dictionary, could you check for spelling?"

He smiled, "I could do that!"

I smiled softly back, "Well… that would be appreciated." I got up and took my dictionary off the shelf and put it in front of him. "Thank you."

He smiled at me, "You're welcome." He put his hand on mine.

"Pardon me…" I heard a _very_ familiar voice say from the doorway.

We turned and I saw Severus scowling at us both. "I hate to interrupt, but it seems you had a run in with some of my students earlier today."

I nodded, "Oh… yes Professor Snape." I looked at Sirius, "Would you mind leaving us alone for a moment?"

Sirius nodded reluctantly and left while having a short glaring contest with Severus. When Sirius left Severus sniffed indignantly and scowled at me briefly before saying, "You seem to have threatened my slytherins with… and I quote… detention until their hair went grey?"

"Yes, well… I didn't give them detention right then. Nor did I take away house points. It was just a warning, and they really deserved much more for insulting Miss Lovegood, don't you think?" I said, looking up at him hopefully. I don't know why I get this way with Severus. He really isn't the type I should get this… soft with.

He just stared at me.

I pulled my eyebrows together, "What?"

He opened his mouth as if to say something, and then closed it again. He scowled deeply and then said, "Nothing. I will talk to my students, I just wanted to get everything cleared up." As he was about to leave he stopped at the doorway and didn't look at me as he said, "Sirius Black is trouble, it wouldn't do for a Hogwarts professor to get involved with him."

I raised my eyebrows, "Oh… well… I won't."

He tilted his head to give me a sideways look.

I smiled slightly, "I won't, I promise." Why was my heart getting all excited at this?

He frowned and nodded, "See that you don't." At that, he left.

Sirius came back in momentarily, "So, what did old Snivellous want?"

I glared at him and grabbed my wand, pointing it at him, "I don't like people being _insulting_ in my presence!"

He went wide eyed and held up his hands, "Alright, geez! What are you, the morality coppers?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "If only. Now, are you going to help me grade or are you going to insult more of my collegues?"

He smiled and chuckled just a little, "I'll help."

I put down my wand and nodded, going back to my desk with him following. Yep… still don't like Sirius Black.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. I will however try to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please review so I know how I'm doing with the story.

Charming, thoroughly charming. I mean really… what teacher doesn't want a dozen red roses sent to her in the middle of class?

Apparently… me.

I sigh and tell the house elf to please put the roses in my quarters. The house elf nods respectfully and does as I say. I look at my students and see the grins they're directing at me. I raise an eyebrow, "What?"

"Do you have a boyfriend Professor Tingstrom?" Cho Chang asks me. See, this is why I hate Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw day. They're all nice and charming and… gossipy. They all want to be my little friends because I'm nice and I just want them to fuck off.

I sigh and say, "Not that it's any of your business Miss Chang, but no I don't have a boyfriend."

"Then whom are the roses from?" She asked curiously.

"Miss Chang… this is philosophy class not 'teachers' private lives revealed'. Now if you will please look at your text we still haven't finished our earlier discussion." I say sternly, but tiredly.

She sighed and said, "Alright Professor Tingstrom." She looked up at me hopefully, "Maybe later."

"You'll still be a student… now text." I say, opening my book again and continuing the lesson.

--------------------------------

I stared at the roses. I don't particularly like red roses… I like white ones. White roses mean eternal love, the kind of love that is pure and true even after death. Red roses basically mean… I want to fuck you and make you my woman. Yeah… I definitely like white roses better.

I sighed and went back to my reading. I've come quite far in my studies of magic, and I seem to be a natural at magic since every time I practice it takes only a few tries before I master the spell. Soon enough I'll be able to pass as an adequate witch! I hope…

There was a knock on my door and I said, "Come in."

The person opened the door and it turned out to be none other than Severus Snape. He stared at me, grimly, for a moment and then said, "The Headmaster requests that we all meet him in the office."

I nodded, "Alright." I jumped off the chair and came to stand beside him.

He looked down at me, eyebrow raised, "Do you always sit lengthwise in your chairs?"

I couldn't help but smile and chuckle, "I like to be different."

Something passed by his eyes but he didn't reply, only turned and started gliding with his usual self-possession towards the door.

I stopped myself from admiring the view and followed after him as quickly as possible. Man… I have such a sissy run. It doesn't help that I'm wearing one of those flowy white nightgowns… I should invest in boxers and oversized t-shirts… do they have boxers and oversized t-shirts in this neck of the woods?

When we got to Albus' office he explained that a Bogart has gotten loose into the castle and we had to find it as soon as possible. Before Albus had even finished I started rushing off, there was no way a Bogart was going to scare _my_ children!

Snape followed after me and started screaming, "Woman, you can't fight the damn thing by yourself!"

I looked back at him with raised eyebrows, "And why can't I? I am perfectly capable of spouting off the ridikulous curse and if you are implying that I can't handle facing my own fears you've obviously imbibed too much fire whiskey tonight. Now, either come along quietly or leave me be." I started off again.

Snape snarled but followed anyway. In a way, I was truly touched that he cared so much. I was especially touched that he still cared even though I'd screamed at him.

We walked silently through a great deal of hallways until we came to a particularly dark one. "I'm going to check this one, stay here." He turned and gave me a deadly look, "Don't. Argue."

I shrugged, "Alright Professor Snape."

He gave a satisfied nod and went into the hallway.

I turned to look around and when I did, I saw something… horrible.

I was… me. But it was the old me… kind of. I was wearing a grey tank top and jeans, my hair was flat, and my eyes… my eyes were… hollow. The other me gave a shrill scream as it started to dissolve. A cold chill ran through me and I realized I was face to face with the Bogart, with my fear… my fear of just… becoming nothing. I stood up straight and clenched my teeth, "No." I pointed my wand at it and screamed, "Ridikulous!"

The dissolving me turned into a puddle and I did a charm to turn it into a big ball and then charmed it to go into a nearby trunk that I immediately locked.

Snape came up behind me as I picked up the trunk and just sort of… stared.

I held my chin high and said, "The day I let my fears rule me is the day pigs fly while singing God Save the Queen!" I thought about it, "Not that there's anything wrong with pigs singing God Save the Queen, but that's not the point of the matter."

He smirked and said, "We should get this back to the headmaster." He took the trunk from me.

I smirked, "That eager to get away from me?"

He gave me a look.

I chuckled, "Just kidding. Yes, we should definitely get this back to them before someone has an aneurism from worry." I started off and I could almost feel… something. Like Snape was staring at me and smiling. But that was impossible.

---------------------------------

_I put down her journal. It pains me to read things like this, remembering how brave she was. How kind. Katherine Tingstrom was always there for me, and her bravery and goodness made me want to be a better person. Knowing the things that happened to her later on breaks my heart, she became so…._

_I flip through some pages. I see "October 27__th__" and smirk. I remember that day… I wonder what she had to say about it…_

--------------------------------

"We have a Halloween ball?" I asked Albus curiously as we sat across from one another at tea.

He nodded, "Yes, which is something you would have known if you paid attention to my announcements. He doesn't sound angry, more like… affectionate.

I blushed and said, "Yes, well… I've been rather preoccupied."

He nodded in understanding, "Regardless, you should go and find yourself a costume. It is after all a 'costume ball'."

I sighed, "Alright… though I have no idea what I should dress up as."

He sipped his tea, "You'll find something."

I raised an eyebrow, how was he always so sure about… everything?

He smiled at me, "So other than that, how are you getting on? Are your magical studies going well?"

I nodded, "Yes, thank you. I've worked through the first and second year books of charms as well as made a great deal of progress in transfiguration. I seem to be rather a natural at this… I think… I wouldn't _really_ know since I've been doing all of this in private. Rather embarrassing really…"

He smiled and took my hand, squeezing it, "Don't be embarrassed. You're a very talented witch; you just don't know it yet."

I looked at him, into his kind eyes, and suddenly found myself saying, "I feel lost Albus. I don't know what to do anymore, or who I am. I mean… I always dreamed there was more to life than what I knew; that fantastic and magical things could happen. All this… it's the stuff of my fondest dreams. But… it's all so complicated and… dark sometimes. Sometimes I'm afraid that I'll never be able to settle here without losing my mind, but most of the time I'm afraid I fit in here better than I did my home. It feels like I'm betraying my loved ones, who I really do miss… but I can't stop…"

"What you feel." He finished. He looked into my eyes and said, "Everything happens for a reason Katherine. As uncomfortable as it might be, this world called out to you. This is where you belong now, and there is no shame in allowing that to be true. You are not betraying your loved ones by allowing yourself to be at peace. They would want that for you."

I held back tears, "But I'm alone."

He shook his head, "You're not alone, not at all. You'll see… this world holds more love for you than you could ever realize just now."

I looked down but said under my breath, "I hope so."

He smiled and lifted up my chin to look at him, "Don't be sad my dear, things have a way of working out."

------------------------------------------

I ended up going to Hogsmede that day and looking for a costume. I don't particularly care for shopping, but it was alright. I ended up choosing a dark fairy costume that consisted of a sleek black and purple dress, a black and purple head band… thingy, and some grey glitter for my skin. I also purchased some dark eye shadow and lipstick for final touches.

I put the costume away and almost as soon as I did someone was knocking frantically at my door. I opened it up and there was Neville Longbottom, his face was purple.

I put my hand briefly to my mouth and then linked my fingers together and put them by my waist, saying very calmly, "What happened?"

"The Weasley Twins…" Neville said sadly.

I motioned for him to come in and said, "Come, sit down on the bed."

He did as he was told as I went into my small kitchen and put some water on to boil. Chamomile was good for skin rashes, as I was assuming this sort of was, and so I would fix some chamomile to put on his skin while Neville and I formulated a plan. I may not be able to help him with everyone, but I might be able to help him with the Weasley Twins.

-------------------------------------

After Neville was all cleaned up and I'd talked to him a bit, Neville took off in a rush. A few hours later I went walking through the halls and just so happened to come across the Weasley Twins. They waved to me and I waved back just before something fell on their heads. All of a sudden they started sneezing like crazy and I covered my mouth and nose. "Oh dear! I must get you both to the hospital wing right away! Whatever _was_ that?"

We all looked up but nobody was there.

"It must have been Peeves!" George said between sneezing fits.

"That git!" Fred sneezed, "Funny though."

"Are you sure? Have you pranked anyone quite recently?" I said, seeming thoughtful.

"Only Neville, but he wouldn't do anything like this." Fred said, before sneezing rather violently.

I nodded, "Quite right." I said, then looked at them with genuine concern and cooed, "Come now, let's go." I shuffled them away to the hospital wing. I felt rather guilty really, mentioning to Neville that maybe if someone just so happened to use their herbology knowledge on the Weasley Twins every time they pranked them… they might stop pranking the person with herbology knowledge so very much. Just a suggestion.

------------------------------

"You did _what_?" Remus laughed, obviously trying not to look too pleased.

I gave a little snort in my tea and had to cover my mouth, "Well… someone had to do _something_ about poor Neville."

He shook his head, "And that someone always has to be you?" He looked at me fondly.

I shrugged, "A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. There are plenty of people to back up the heroes, but who will back up the people who make this world just a little more interesting and… kind?"

He smiled, "You… obviously."

I smiled back, "I try."

He reached out and placed a hand on mine.

I blushed.

-------------------------------------------

"You just can't leave well enough alone, can you Professor Tingstrom?" I heard Snape say from behind me.

I turned and said, "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

He walked right up to me and said darkly, "You are a troublesome woman who can't leave well enough alone. It is a wonder that you've survived as long as you have."

I shrugged, "I believe it's a wonder that _anyone_ survives as long as they do. What with sickness and accidents and…"

He held up his hand, "Spare me."

I rolled my eyes, "I really don't see how it's any of your business anyway. If I did something, which I'm not saying I did, it wasn't even to a Slytherin."

"You're supposed to be setting a good example, not acting like another child." He growled.

That made me scowl, "I do NOT act like a child! Nor do I set a bad example. It is about time that _somebody_ tried to empower somebody other than the chosen ones of the world. I'm so sick and tired of the general public letting people that are unique go ignored and un-cherished just because they don't understand them. It's time the outcasts made themselves visible, and by Merlin if nobody else is going to help them do it than I will. If you don't like it, you can just go fuck yourself for all I care!"

He scowled and stepped towards me, hissing, "You are the most idiotic, overzealous, meddlesome woman I have ever met!"

"And you're a cold, nasty, git of a man who wouldn't know something good and decent if it jumped up and bit him on the ass!" I snarled back, stepping towards him as well.

"I hate you!" He said lowly, dangerously, as he grabbed my arms and burned his eyes into mine.

"And I hate you!" I growled, actually baring my teeth. But the air between us was something that was very little like real hate.

He pulled me close to his body while staring at me furiously while I clutched his cape front and returned the glare. Something was about to happen…

"Am I interrupting something?" I heard Remus say from beside us. We turned and I saw that Remus was looking at Severus… Snape… dangerously.

Snape let me go and smoothed out his jacket before walking away briskly.

I sniffed and then smiled at Remus, though I was too shaken to really make it genuine, "Hello Remus, everything alright?"

He looked at me like I'd just grown another head.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. I will however try to portray them as accurately as possible.

Please review, it lets me know how I'm doing with the story.

"Professor Tingstrom! Professor Tingstrom!" I heard the now familiar voice of Cho Chang. Oh lord, why me? She ran into my room and squealed, "Have you heard the news?"

I raised my eyebrows.

She grinned and sat in front of me, talking about so and so and how they were going out with such and such and blah blah blah blah blah… Really, doesn't this girl have anything better to do? I was still cranky from my argument with Snape last night and the last thing I needed was gossip to further my headache. "So what do you think Professor?"

Oh shit. "About what?"

She rolled her eyes, "I was wondering what I should wear to the ball? I was thinking either an angel or a pirate girl. We're going to Hogsmede in two days you know!"

Oh… dear. Merlin help us all, Cho Chang as either one of those is enough to make me want to be sick. "I think you'd make a lovely princess." I say with false sweetness.

She grins, "Really?!? Because I was a princess once a few years ago."

"Go for it, you're older now and can get a better dress." Although it would hardly be a real costume, the phony little twit. I looked back down at my papers.

She smiled; I could hear it in her voice when she said, "Thank you Professor Tingstrom!" She leaned over and hugged me, making me jump slightly, "It's so good to have someone like you to talk to."

I tried very hard not to roll my eyes and patted her back, "You're welcome. Now, don't you have classes to go to?"

She jumped and said, "Oh, yes! I'll see you later Professor!"

I waved half heartedly and then went back to my grading. Honestly, if I _must _be interrupted it should at least be by someone interesting.

---------------------------------------------------

So the day of the Halloween ball came. I wasn't exactly what you'd call 'excited' about it. I _hate_ balls and parties and shit… they're completely boring. What the hell are you supposed to do? Socializing and dancing… occasionally eating… yeah, fun times. Personally, I'd rather be in front of a fire reading a book.

I tried to do the full dark fairy costume, glitter and all, and it didn't exactly work as planned. Much, _much_ too complicated and glamorous for someone like me. I kept scratching the glitter off and the head band thing didn't fit across my head. I ended up wearing my dress and piling my hair on top of my head as best I could (which wasn't very well I promise you, I looked like a crazy person). I cut off some of the black fabric from the bottom of the dress (I was tripping over it anyway) and made a mask. That's costume enough for me, and if Albus doesn't like it then he'll just have to get over it.

I met Remus in the hallways a half hour before the ball. He was dressed as a skeleton, of all things. I raised an eyebrow and said, "A skeleton, Remus… really."

He laughed and shrugged, "It was all I could find. I'm on a budget you know. But look at you… what happened to your hair?"

"Don't start," I warned.

He smiled and started towards the ball.

I shook my head and followed beside him.

"You never told me what Severus was arguing with you about." He said conversationally, but I knew him well enough to know he'd been chewing over that question for a while. He hadn't seemed too pleased about the position Snape and I had been in.

I shrugged and said, "Basically… the usual. I'm a horrendous, meddlesome woman and he's an intolerable git."

He nodded slowly but eventually said, "Then why were you two…"

I looked at him, "I suppose because he was about to shake the living crap out of me. Why else?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Why else indeed?"

I rolled my eyes, "Don't be silly Remus." I wrapped my arm through his.

He nodded but didn't seem convinced, and frankly there was nothing I could do to dissuade him. When Snape and I had gotten close, something had happened. I'm not sure what, but something… Ok, so I was pretty damn certain what I was feeling but there was no way in hell I was going to admit it to myself. Not with Snape acting like such an oblivious asshole.

Snape isn't the type of person I should develop feelings for, it's Remus. Remus is lovely and kind and… and good, not to mention intelligent and patient enough not to lose his temper if I do something ditzy (as I often do). He's also my friend, how can I choose someone like Snape over someone who is my friend?

"Everything alright?" Remus asked suspiciously.

I smiled slightly and leaned my head against him, "Everything has just been moving so fast lately. I can hardly keep up with my new life at Hogwarts."

He smiled comfortingly at me then and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "I can understand that."

"Don't worry about Snape, I can handle him." I said softly.

He looked at me for a long moment, and I didn't want to admit to myself what I saw in his eyes. "Alright."

We went back to a normal stance as we walked to the ball.

--------------------------------------

The ball was interesting only because of the costumes; otherwise it was just another party. People socialized and drama ensued between the students (teenagers), I had to break up several fights and I'll tell you what… it's really hard to decide whether breaking up a physical fight is worse than breaking up a hexing fight. Of course, it may have been worse for me since my magical knowledge is limited at best.

But there was one interesting moment…

I'd just danced with Remus and I was going towards the table with the punch. I saw Snape glaring at me and glared back. "Professor Snape," I growled.

He narrowed his eyes, "Professor Tingstrom."

"What exactly are you looking at?" I said snidely.

"Just making sure you don't suddenly get the urge to start a revolution." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes, "Please…"

I passed by him closely and he stiffened up, moving back a little.

I stared at him, wide eyed. Was he afraid of being close to me? Did that mean… did that mean that he had felt something too? That it wasn't only me that had felt that… ok, so it was sexual tension, between us?

I looked down for a moment and then looked up at him seriously, "I have no intention of doing anything foolish."

He raised an eyebrow, "I wasn't aware that you could help yourself in that regard."

I narrowed my eyes, "Go fuck yourself Snape."

He smirked, "Petty little child."

"Intolerable git," I said, walking away from him. Stupid man… if it's the last thing I do I'll genuinely hate him.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. I will, however, try to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please review, it helps me know how I'm doing.

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As I walked away from Snape I reminded myself not to be upset. I'm an adult after all; there is no way I was going to slip into acting like a child… at least not at the moment.

I saw Professor Flitwick at the table and smiled, he's a nice old man. "Hello Professor Flitwick!" I said with a smile.

He smiled at me and said, "Hello Professor Tingstrom, how are you this evening?"

"Oh, I'm alright I suppose. Keeping busy?" I asked as I poured myself some punch, hoping to all that's good and holy that the Weasley Twins or one of their impersonators got a hole of it first.

He nodded, "Oh yes, the children seem quite active tonight."

I nodded as I sipped my punch.

He looked over at me, "I saw you arguing with Professor Snape, is everything alright?"

"Yes, of course. Professor Snape and I just have a healthy… critiquing relationship. Nothing to be worried about." I said, not really wanting to go into it.

He tilted his head and looked at me, "You know Professor Tingstrom… you're one of the few people I've ever met that is willing to confront Professor Snape in such a way."

I raised an eyebrow and shrugged, "What can I say… I'm not afraid of him. As far as I'm concerned, he may be a git but he's still trustworthy."

Professor Flitwick went somewhat wide eyed but merely said, "How… interesting."

I don't have to defend myself to anyone if I don't choose to. I took another sip of punch.

Just then there was a noise from a corridor and I was more than happy to go check it out. I excused myself from Professor Flitwick and went to see what was going on.

I found Draco Malfoy snogging some girl in the corridor, his hands rising up beneath her skirt. Oh, that was wrong on _so_ many levels! "Mr. Malfoy, what on _earth_ are you doing?!?" The girl turned, it was Melba Truax; a snotty little girl that paired up with Draco was going to be guaranteed hell for me. "Miss Truax, really…"

She sniffed and said, "There is nothing wrong with a little sexual exploration Professor Tingstrom… though I doubt if you'd know that."

… There is no possible way I was getting chided on my sexual adventurism by a thirteen year old… Seriously, there had to be a law. "Miss Truax, as a minor an one of my students I think it is highly unseemly for you to be lecturing me on sexual exploration. And you, Mr. Malfoy…" I looked at him.

Draco just smirked like a little asshole.

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever happened to pulling a girl's hair? Now come along, _both_ of you. This ball is over for you both; I'm also taking away ten house points and giving you both detention."

They both looked at me in shock and Draco wailed, "You can't _do_ that?!?"

I blinked at them, "Since when? I'm a Professor; I can do whatever the hell I want to punish you for a clear violation of school code."

Draco stiffened up, "But I'm a Malfoy!"

I rolled my eyes, "Yes I know, any other objections?"

He narrowed his eyes, "No…"

"My father will hear about this!" Melba screamed, "A stupid mud blood like you should know their place!"

Ok, how on earth did she come to decide I was a mud blood? Anyway, I grabbed both of their necks and said, "Well, until that time comes I'm going to show you _your_ place." I dragged them both to their house and made them go in. I know I'll have hell to pay tomorrow, but right now I don't really give a shit.

--------------------------------------------------

The next day, bright and early, I was summoned to Albus' office. I went in and saw a tall, blonde man and a fat guy with black hair. When Albus smiled at me and said, "Ahhh… Professor Tingstrom…" They both turned to look at me.

The tall, blonde man was obviously Lucius Malfoy. He sneered at me and said, "Ahh the growingly infamous Professor Tingstrom… I _had_ heard that you were beautiful… Pity."

"And you must be the infamous Lucius Malfoy; _I_ had heard that you were charming… Pity."

He stiffened and glared at me, "For one who is already on very thin ice, I would think that you would try to watch your tongue."

I shrugged, "I can't exactly watch it, it's inside my mouth and my eyes are in front of my face. It makes for hard viewing."

He snarled and said, "You are the most idiotic woman I've ever had the pure displeasure of meeting!"

I smiled and said sweetly, "So sorry."

The fat man, whom I assume was Mr. Truax, screamed, "Headmaster Dumbledore, how could you hire such a woman?"

He looked sympathetic and said, "Professor Tingstrom was only trying to carry out the orders I gave her for our students not to wander off and… procreate. As for her conduct in this office, I'm quite certain that her apology was genuine." He looked at me seriously, "Wasn't it?"

I straightened up and gave them an earnest look, "I am genuinely sorry if I have offended either of you in any way." You noxious gits.

Lucius smirked and said, "Very well then."

Mr. Truax still frowned at me.

Lucius stepped towards me and said, "I would suggest that from now on, you watch your actions more closely…"

I looked up at him, "I will do my best Mr. Malfoy. Do take care." And break your neck.

He nodded curtly at me, so did Mr. Truax, and they left.

After they'd gone Albus looked at me critically, "Did you_ have_ to do that?"

I realized that maybe upsetting two powerful death eaters was probably not my best idea ever. I nodded my head in shame and said, "I'm sorry, I just…"

"Was foolish and careless with your words," He shook his head, "I realize that you're young Katherine, but you are no longer in a position where that is an acceptable excuse."

I looked up at him, "I'm sorry, I'll try better."

He nodded, "I hope so. I see great potential in you Katherine, but you must realize that in a position of authority one must be very careful where one steps."

"I understand," I said shamefully.

"You should probably go back to your room; you still have a full class schedule." He said, sitting down.

I nodded, "Alright, have a good day Headmaster."

He smiled at me, "It's Albus, remember?"

"Yes Headmaster," I started out the door.

I heard him sigh as the door closed behind me.

--------------------------------------------------

"They didn't hurt you, did they Professor? If they did my father will write an article in his paper all about how he…" Luna started.

I smiled slightly at her and said, "No, no, of course not Miss Lovegood. Everything is fine, just fine. I'm just tired, really. Go on to lunch, I'll see you tomorrow."

She didn't seem satisfied, but nodded and started towards the door. But before she left she turned and said, "If you change your mind, just let me know! It could go right next to the article he's doing about wooly slugs being used for fur coats."

I had to stifle a snort, "I'll keep that in mind, thank you."

She grinned and said, "No problem! I'll see you later Professor!" Then she skipped out the door.

I smiled and shook my head, got to love that girl. I sighed then and stood up, pacing the room back and forth. I suddenly realized full on where I was and what it meant. I was a teacher at Hogwarts and with that came certain responsibilities other than watching and teaching the children. I had to have certain… finesse. The problem is that when they were handing out finesse and charm I was in the back of the line, I'd been too busy running at the 'miscellaneous' line… how was _I_ supposed to know that nobody else was as excited about it as I was?

Just then someone knocked curtly on my office door.

"Come in!" I said, leaning against my desk.

Snape came stomping in and glared at me, "Has anyone told you what an idiotic, loud mouthed woman you are?!?!?!"

I gave a condescending smile and said, "Yes, you tell me that on a regular basis. Was there anything else that you wanted to add?"

He scowled and said, "First you harass the members of my house, and then their parents! Was there anyone else you wanted to infuriate today or are you satisfied with this level of stupidity?"

I frowned and said, "First of all, I see absolutely no reason why I should kiss the ass of every member of the Slytherin house just because their Mummies and Daddies have fat pockets! Second of all… I'm sorry about that."

He opened his mouth and was obviously going to shout some more when he stopped, "Wait… you're _sorry_?"

"You're not honestly expecting me to repeat that, are you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

He smirked smugly, "So… you admit you did something stupid… _again_?"

I clenched my teeth but said, "Yes, I'm admitting that. Bad Katherine, no acting like a smart ass to parents."

He practically smiled… practically… "Oh, this is too lovely. Professor Katherine Tingstrom admitting she did something wrong without argument or yelling. It should go down on record."

"You really are a snide bastard aren't you?" I hissed.

He smirked, "No need to act childish."

I frowned deeply and shouted, "I am _not_ a child!"

He frowned, "Then stop _acting_ like one!"

I scowled and turned, crossing my arms, "I would like it _very_ much if you left now."

He huffed, "No need to throw a temper tantrum."

Temper tantrum? I'd show him a temper tantrum! I grabbed a nearby book and turned, throwing it by his head, "GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" You know, throwing a book by someone's head isn't very satisfying since it doesn't break or anything. I'll have to remember that.

He seemed shocked but growled out, "FINE!!!!! Stupid, childish woman!"

"Get the fuck out Snape!" I yelled as he went out the door, throwing another book.

When he left I huffed and sat on the desk. I knew now that he was officially right, I really am a stupid and childish woman. But damn… that felt good. Stupid, fucking Snape… why can't he just leave me alone like he does with everyone else?


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. I will however try to portray them to the best of my ability.

Please review so that I know how I'm doing.

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"Professor Tingstrom, is it true?!?!?!" Cho squealed as she ran through my door.

I sighed and said, "Is _what_ true?"

"That you threw things at Professor Snape last night! Mabel said that she saw him ducking out of your office as books were thrown at him. What did he do?!?!" She said, grinning and sitting in front of me.

I smirked, "Listening to gossip again Miss Chang?"

She frowned, "Oh, come on!"

I looked down at my notebook and kept writing down my lesson plan, "Miss Chang, whatever you heard… what I do in my free time is absolutely none of your business and I would thank you kindly not to ask."

She looked as if she would sob, "But… but… we're friends!"

I sighed and said, "Be that as it may, I am an adult as well as you're teacher. There are just some things that are inappropriate for me to talk with you about."

She pouted but said, "Ok." Then she gave a sly smile, "Not even a hint?"

I sighed and said, "Miss Chang, really."

She sniffed and said, "Alright." She started towards the door, then turned and smiled at me, "Maybe later?"

"Miss Chang, I swear if you _don't_ get out of my office right now I will give you detention with Filch!" I growled.

She blinked, turned, and ran out of the room.

I smirked, oh yeah… I'm good.

------------------------------------------------

Remus and I were walking through Hogsmede and passing by a pet shop when something small and brown flew out of it and landed on my head. "Gah!" I screamed, "Get it off, get it off! What is it?!?!?!?!"

He laughed and said, "Calm down." He grabbed the thing gently and then rested it on his hand. It was a small, brown owl.

I tilted my head and looked at it, "Uh… hello?"

It made a cooing noise and then flew over and landed on my head again.

I looked up, "Oi, that is not an owl post little one!"

Remus laughed again.

The shopkeeper ran out screaming, "Hey! What are you doing with that?"

"I'm not doing anything! Your owl landed on my head!" I said, annoyed.

He looked at it as if he'd just seen a ghost, "But… that owl hates everyone."

I sighed and said, "Of course it does." I reached up and plucked it off my head.

The owl cooed again and stared at me with what I could have sworn was affection.

I shook my head and said, "Alright, how much? And don't try to screw me because I'm not exactly getting a deal with the owl that hates everybody."

The shopkeeper waved me into the shop and ten minutes later I came out with my new pet owl C.B.

---------------------------------------------

As Snape passed by me in the hallway he turned and gave us a look, although it was apparent he'd meant to ignore me at fist sight. "What the bloody hell is that?"

"It's an owl." I said dryly.

"It's practically a rodent," He scowled.

"Maybe, but it's still just an owl." I said, raising an eyebrow.

He gave me a look, "So you've gone from throwing fits to deciding you can sustain another life?"

"Don't you have anything better to do?" I asked, sighing.

He stiffened up, "What's wrong? You don't want to converse now that there are no books within reach?"

C.B. squawked menacingly at him.

I reached up and scratched C.B. affectionately, "Good owl. And no Professor, it's just that I have things that I need to do today. It would really be lovely if we could just part ways amicably for once."

He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

I sighed and smiled softly at him, "I'm sorry for throwing a fit earlier. It was wrong of me, and mostly uncalled for. I don't really expect you to forgive me, but I do apologize for it."

He looked at me for a long time and then uncrossed his arms while saying, "I suppose I cannot blame a child for being a child."

I smirked, "I'm not a child."

He just looked at me. After a moment he looked at C.B. and scowled, "Has that thing gotten the proper medical treatment to make sure it's not diseased?"

I nodded, "Of course."

C.B. hooted indignantly.

Snape nodded and left without another word.

I smiled after him.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. I will however try to portray them to the best of my ability. No profit is being made from this series.

Please review so that I know how I'm doing.

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I stared at Harry as he stands awkwardly in front of me. I put a hand on my mouth as I studied him. You know… for a little bastard… he looks pretty harmless, "So… let me get this straight… I catch you roaming around the halls when you shouldn't… and now you want me to let you out of detention… why?"

"I heard that Draco was planning something…" He said, not looking at me.

I rolled my eyes and looked at him seriously, "Mr. Potter, I do believe that there are sufficient administrators in this school that can take care of Mr. Malfoy for you to be able to take a few hours off from saving us all." I looked up at him dangerously, "Now sit your bum _down_!"

He scowled, "You're almost as bad as Professor Snape!"

I frowned at him, "Professor Snape is a very capable administrator and I don't particularly consider being compared to him an insult. However, I will _not_ ask you again Mr. Potter."

He huffed and sat down, "This is completely stupid!"

I rolled my eyes, "Mr. Potter, I understand that you have your reasons for doing the things that you do. But rules are still rules and if you _must_ break them, the very least you could do would be to not get caught."

He looked up at me, gaping.

I raised an eyebrow, "Is there a problem?"

He shook his head, but eventually smiled at me.

I sighed and said, "What?"

"You aren't really angry with me." He said it as a statement, not a question.

I rolled my eyes, "I never said that."

"Well… you don't think I did anything wrong."

"I didn't say that either."

He frowned, "Then what did you mean by that statement?"

I scowled at him, "Believe it or not Mr. Potter, not _everyone_ in the world speaks in code. I meant _exactly_ what I said _exactly_ as I said it. If that is too complicated for you to understand then I suggest you spend more time studying."

C.B. hooted in agreement and flew down to sit on my desk. I scratched his head.

Harry watched us and said, "Did you ever meet my parents?"

"No," I said, now looking down at my papers again.

"Not ever?" He sounded somewhat surprised.

I sighed and said, "Harry, I haven't even met all the _teachers_ in this _castle_."

He smiled slightly, "You called me Harry."

I sighed.

He came up and sat in front of my desk, "You know... this is the first time I've really talked to you."

"So it seems…" I said, just now realizing that myself.

He smiled, "But you always seem very nice."

"I try…" I say, not getting what his point is.

"What part of England are you from?" He asks, tilting his head.

I chuckle and say, "I'm not from England Harry."

He went wide eyed, "Really? Then where are you from?"

I thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I'd rather not say."

He frowned, "Why not? I can't tell just from your voice and manners."

"Why does it even matter?" I say, raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged, "Just curious."

"And it's just none of your business. Now, did I _say_ that you could sit there? Go back to the desk." I said, deciding I'd had enough of this conversation.

He sighed and went to the desk again. He rested his chin on his arms for a while and was quiet. Eventually, though, he started again, "Did you like my godfather when you met him?"

I gave a long suffering sigh and said, "Mr. Potter, this is _not_ a social hour, it's detention. If you could please shut up it would be appreciated."

He frowned and then smiled and said, "You don't have to be like this. I've seen you with Neville, you're nice."

I pinched the top of my nose, "Mr. Potter…"

He sat in front of my desk again, "And you're friends with Professor Lupin. I'm sorry I haven't talked to you more, but I think you're a great professor. We should be friends."

"I am a professor, it is not my _job_ to be your friend, nor is it wise."

"But you will be, won't you?" He looked at me hopefully.

I suddenly got it, and smirked, "Harry… I'm not letting you out of detention."

He sighed and said, "Come on!"

I laughed and then went and got my candy box, "But if it makes you feel better, have some candy."

He studied it and then gave me a small smile, "Well… I guess it's something."

I chuckled and nodded, "Nice try though."

He grinned, "So… where _are_ you from?"

"The states." I said, taking a jelly for myself.

He blinked, "Really? Hmmm… I guess it's not that surprising. But what are you doing _here_?"

I smirked, "Now _that_ is a very good question."

"So?"

"Eat the candy and shut up." I said, nibbling the candy.

He rolled his eyes, "Alright."

I smiled at him and laughed. Poor boy, too used to adults treating him like an equal and not a child. Good thing Snape and I are here to set him straight. Though… I somehow doubt I'll use the precise methods that Snape does, nor do I think Harry will react to me the same way he does to him.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any money off of this series. I will, however, try to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please review so that I know how I'm doing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I watched the view from the astronomy tower as the wind gently blew past me. I love the fall… I love the wind. When I was younger, I considered the wind to be a friend of mine. I hadn't had a conventional imaginary friend to talk to due to it being incredibly silly in my opinion, but I had very much appreciated the wind's pushing my swing and blowing past me in a comforting way when I had been upset. I had honestly come to believe that the wind truly cared for me and even as an adult with better realization about what is reality and fantasy I still feel a twinge of affection in moments like this where everything is peaceful and the wind blows past me. Silly, I know, but there it is.

"Professor Tingstrom?" I hear a voice say behind me, obviously surprised.

I turned around, eyebrow raised, to see none other than Draco Malfoy. "Hello Mr. Malfoy."

He frowns momentarily, and then smirks, "You know… you shouldn't be up here all alone. Bad things happen to vulnerable women."

"Mr. Malfoy, if you are intending to frighten me you will have to do a great deal better than that. What is it exactly that you wanted?" I say, crossing my arms and looking at him dubiously.

He puts on a careless but snobby expression and says, "I was just coming up to enjoy the view when I found my philosophy professor to be up here. What are _you_ doing up here?"

I smirked, "I don't see how that is any of your business Mr. Malfoy."

He frowns and says, "Why are you always so mean to me?!?! I'm Draco Malfoy!"

I snorted, "I'll have you know that I am _not_ mean, I am merely treating you the way that your actions insist that I must. Whether you are Draco Malfoy or not makes absolutely no difference to me." And I mean that.

He crosses his arms and rests against the nearest wall.

I study him for a moment and then ask, "Where are Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle?"

He shrugs, "I wanted to be alone."

I smile slightly, Merlin knows why but that action made me feel the slightest bit of tenderness for the boy. "Is everything alright?"

He shakes his head, "Everything's fine…" He mutters something under his breath that I choose to ignore.

"Alright, well… I suppose I'll leave you alone then." I said personably before starting towards the stairs.

He looks up at me, surprised, "You'll just… leave me alone?"

I raise my eyebrows, "Yes, you said you wanted privacy and I suppose you have a right to it."

He seemed disbelieving for a moment, but then nodded and looked down again.

I stopped at the doorway and turned to him, "You know Mr. Malfoy; if something is happening that you don't like… you have a right to change it. If you ever need help, you're not alone."

He looked dumbfounded at me for a moment, but then said, "Alright…"

I smiled and nodded and made to start down the stairs, lifting my foot to step down.

"Professor Tingstrom?" I hear him say and quickly make to turn but lose my footing. The next thing I know I'm falling down and Draco runs to try and grab my hand, not quite making it in time. I feel my head hit one of the stairs and know nothing else for a long time.

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All I remember is that everything was fuzzy and I heard somewhere nearby, "What happened Draco? What made her like this? You didn't do anything to hurt her did you?" The voice sounded dark with barely suppressed rage.

"No! No, I wouldn't do anything to hurt her! She fell, that's all!" I heard someone else say. At the moment, I didn't recognize either voice. Though now, thinking back, I realize it was Draco and Snape. Why Snape was so concerned, I'm not sure. It's probably because he didn't want his godson to have got himself into so much trouble, which I can understand.

That was all I heard before darkness descended on me again.

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When I finally did really, truly wake up I saw that Draco Malfoy was asleep in a chair next to my bed. I honestly hadn't been that surprised since I woke up in Hogwarts the first time. Why was Draco waiting by my bed? "Mr. Malfoy?"

He woke up quickly and smiled, "Professor Tingstrom! Are you alright? I thought you were dead!"

I crinkled my eyebrows, not completely ready to start answering obvious questions, "Why are you here Draco? You should be asleep."

"I… I thought you were dead," He frowns, looking surprisingly vulnerable.

I sigh and decide to smile slightly, "Draco, I'm fine now. Don't worry."

He looks up at me and says, "I'm sorry."

I furrow my brows again, "Whatever for?"

"For making you trip." He says, looking genuinely upset.

I smile slightly and decide that Draco's probably not as bad as he's made out to be; though he may just be concerned since he didn't want to get in trouble over my fall. "It wasn't your fault Draco, accidents happen. Trust me, if it was your fault I'd be the first to punish you."

He lightens up a little at that and says, "So I'm not in trouble."

"No, you're not in trouble. Now, will you _please_ go back to your house and get some sleep? I need my rest." I said, too tired and feeling a little to touched by the (probably insincere) concern of the boy to be genuinely annoyed.

He gave a sheepish smile and nodded before getting up and turned to leave, before turning back, "By the way… I never got to say…"

I raised my eyebrows, indicating interest in what he was saying.

"Thank you," He then turned and left.

I smiled and chuckled slightly. None of this was going to change anything, but it was certainly an interesting interlude.

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"Are you sure you're alright Professor?" Cho cooed at me as I sat and tried to look over the papers that had been turned in during my absence.

"Yeah, we heard you fell from the Astronomy Tower! Aren't you still hurt?" Neville asked, looking at me with concern.

"I heard Draco pushed you," Luna said, scowling furiously.

I sighed and said, "No, Mr. Malfoy did no such thing. Yes, I fell, but Madame Pomfrey is a very capable healer and I am just fine now. I am alright, seriously. There is no need for such concern."

"I'm so glad!" Cho squealed and hugged me tight.

I yelped and was about to tell her to get off, I was still bruised after all, when I heard a very familiar voice say, "I believe it would be best if you all stopped coddling Professor Tingstrom and went down to lunch as you are supposed to."

They all jumped a little and Cho let go of me. Then they all looked at me for confirmation. I had to hold back the instant gratitude I felt for Snape's actions and just merely nodded to the children to silently tell them to do as he said. As soon as they left though I sighed and gave Snape a genuinely appreciative smile, "Thank you Professor Snape."

He huffed and said, "I merely didn't want to have to converse in a classroom full of your followers."

That wiped the smile off my face. I raised an eyebrow, "Point taken, what is it that you needed Professor Snape."

"About Mr. Malfoy…" He started.

I sighed and said, "I have no intention of doing anything to the boy. It wasn't his fault that I fell and I believe he already feels enough guilt to cover the cost… or at least he's pretending to do so and I'll take that as well."

He looked at me for a moment then said, "Well then, that is all I needed to know."

"Good, happy to oblige." I said, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

He didn't leave though; he just stood there… watching me.

I gave an exasperated sigh and said, "Anything else?"

He huffed and turned around, about to leave, but then turned and yelled angrily, "Are you quite alright Professor Tingstrom?"

I blinked and then scowled, "Yes! I'm quite alright for a woman who fell down the stairs recently!"

"Good!" He said, turning again and storming out of the room.

After I couldn't hear his footsteps anymore I laughed.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Also, I am not making any profit from this series. I will, however, do my best to portray everything to the best of my abilities.

Please review so that I know how I'm doing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was snowing outside and yet there I was, trudging out to the greenhouse with C.B. flying next to me. I had an appointment with Professor Sprout, who had talked to me about her latest plants and excitedly agreed to talk to me about the plants she had when I asked her about it. I've never been good with plants, but it would be nice to know about the ones here just in case. If nothing else, it would give me more things to talk about with Neville (the little darling).

Personally though, of all the things I've learned the things I find myself most interested in are charms, magical items/devices, and potions. Though I'm not quite sure I should attempt potions… with my luck I'd probably blow something up. Not to mention that the only person who could help me with it would probably be… less than excited to do so.

As I came up to the greenhouse I accidentally stepped on a sheet of ice and went sliding through the door and into the arms of… Snape?

He'd caught me on instinct and our chests were pushed together, our faces so close that I could feel his breath. I saw his eyes go wide with shock before he glared at me and said, "Honestly Tingstrom, have you not even learned to walk yet?"

I frowned and pushed away from him while saying, "Intelligent man that you are Professor Snape, I'm sure you understand the properties of ice and the effect it has on one's traction?" I smoothed out my dress and looked up at him haughtily, "As _lovely_ as it is to see you here, where's Professor Sprout?"

He snorted and said, "She's in the back… pruning. I am in need of a seedling of one of her plants and she's gone to get it for me. What are _you_ here for Professor Tingstrom? I never knew you had any particular interest in Herbology."

"As a matter of fact, I find plants rather interesting. I am not necessarily skilled at the care of them, but I am not one to turn down _information_ about them. Plants, just as most things are at this school, are an interesting and important topic for witches and wizards to know. I would be a fool to ignore them simply because I did not immediately need the knowledge of them." I said snippily.

He smirked, "Duly noted."

Just then Professor Sprout came out, smiling when she saw me, and said, "Here you go Professor Snape, if you have any trouble with it let me know. And hello Katherine dear, are you ready for your tour?"

I smiled at her and said, "Of course I am, thank you again for agreeing to show me the greenhouse."

She grinned, "My pleasure!" Then she looked at Severus, "Have a good day Professor Snape."

I looked at him from under my eyelashes and smirked, "Yes, have a good day Professor Snape."

He glared at me and left without another word.

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I had a dream. At first it was my best friend Tracy and I. It was more like a memory actually… _**we were just sitting on her couch, drinking, and watching an old Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie. I'd always liked old movies and had drawn her into liking them as well. I was smiling, watching the scene where Fred was in front of a mirror, talking to himself, "What are you feeling so guilty about? You're not in love with the girl!" He walked away and suddenly his reflection said, "Oh yes you are!"**_

_**I laughed maniacally, I loved this movie, and Tracy said, "What is with you and liking men in denial? Not to mention them getting told off."**_

"_**I like hearing men in denial getting told off. I mean, look at him. Here he is, faced with a woman who's perfect for him and is in love with him… and he can't get his head out of his own ass long enough to realize it. Not to mention realize that he returns his feelings… which is very important. It's pitiful, just pitiful." I said, shaking my head.**_

_**She shrugged and said, "Yeah… but that's men for you. Either they're all hot and heavy about you, asking you to move in and all that crap… or they're in denial. What can you do?"**_

_**I sighed and said, "I don't know… I suppose if that ever happened to me… it wouldn't matter all that much as long as we eventually got together."**_

_**She looked up at me, "And if you didn't?"**_

_**I shrugged, "Then that would be a shame, wouldn't it?"**_

"_**Ok, so I go into the room and undo the hypnosis, and tell her that I love her." Fred said to his reflection. His reflection smiled and said, "That's right." Fred frowned and said, "But then what do I do?" His reflection gave a long suffering sigh and said, "Then you kiss her, STUPID!"**_

_**When I looked over at Tracy again though it wasn't her anymore, it was Severus. He was watching me thoughtfully and when our eyes connected he smirked and said, "Quite the awkward moment?"**_

_**I raised an eyebrow, "I don't see why it would be."**_

_**Suddenly he… smiled. It was small, but there, and he leaned towards me and looked into my eyes. "Shall I stop being stupid and kiss the girl?"**_

_**My heart sped up as I said, "Yes, you should."**_

_**He chuckled and leaned into me, our lips brushing against each other. **_

_**I closed my eyes, getting ready to finally really kiss the man I was falling in love with when…**_

I woke up. C.B. landed on my head and dug his claws gently into my scalp, wanting a treat. My heart was racing and I was more than a little unnerved. Falling in love with _Snape_? Geez, what a freaky thing for my mind to cook up. It's one thing to be attracted to him, but to fall in love with him would be just plain stupid. I'm not… am I?

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Christmas was approaching quickly and I suddenly realized that I had absolutely nowhere to go. I didn't want to stay at Hogwarts during my vacation, nor did I want to stay in a hotel. I decided that it was about time that I accepted my fate and set up a real residence here in this new world.

So that weekend I went to Diagon Alley and looked around for something suitable. I ended up finding a small, but cozy, apartment that had a view of Ollivander's. I was allowed to redecorate it if I so chose (and I definitely so chose) and I was allowed to bring C.B. Not to mention the rent was within my limited income, which is always a plus. I figured it would be a good place to stay when I was on holiday from working at Hogwarts, as well as a place to go to when I just needed to get away from it all. Hogwarts could be a little oppressing at times and it would be good to have someplace that I could really call home.

----------------------------------------------------

As I walked back up to Hogwarts I heard arguing. I ran to the source of the commotion and found Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy pointing wands at one another, with their friends of course behind them saying the usual things.

I snarled, "What the bloody hell is going on here!?!?!?!?!?!"

Both boys looked at me and to my everlasting surprise they both ran up to me as if I was their mother.

Draco got to one side of me and pointed at Harry, hissing, "He deliberately provoked me! It's not my fault!"

Harry went to my other side and screamed while pointing at Draco, "Of course it's his fault! He insulted Hermione! He called her a…"

"That's ENOUGH!!!!" I screamed, not at all in the mood for this shit. "I don't care who started it, or why. You're BOTH going to detention after dinner and you're BOTH getting fifteen house points taken off for fighting. I will not TOLERATE such behavior, is that understood?"

They both gave me bewildered looks, but then conceded after a moment.

Then Draco smirked at Harry, before looking up at me with his pretty pale eyes, smiling, "I understand Professor Tingstrom, it was wrong of me to fight with Potter. I'm very sorry, please forgive me."

I sighed and said, "Go on, run along Draco. I'll see you after dinner."

He glared at Harry before smiling at me once again and running off with Crabbe and Goyle.

I sighed, that child was up to something. I decided then and there that it would be best if I invested in several cups of coffee at dinner tonight.

Harry looked up at me sheepishly, "Let me guess… I should have had the decency not to get caught?"

I raised my eyebrow, letting that speak for itself.

He gave me a half smile and said, "I'm sorry Professor Tingstrom, I know you probably didn't want to punish me."

I frowned, "Don't push your luck Mr. Potter. I'll see you in detention tonight."

He nodded and unexpectedly hugged me. Dear Merlin, what is with these children and wanting to hug me lately? He then looked up at me and said, "I'll see you after dinner." Then he ran back to Ron and Hermione, who waved at me while smiling.

I waved back and wondered what the hell these children had come to believe about me. That, and how good of an idea it would be to make that coffee spiked.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, nor am I making any profit off of them. I will, however, try to portray them to the best of my ability.

Please review so that I know how I'm doing.

I stared at the piece of paper in front of me with disgust. I hate writing with a quill. I could barely write legibly with a ball point pen and now I have to worry about getting the right amount of ink on the quill, not dripping the ink all over everywhere, not scratching holes into the paper… I'll tell you, grading papers is a bitch. Because writing with a quill is tedious at best (for me at least) I'll usually just scratch off wrong answers, write down a score and grade, and if I absolutely had to say something about the paper to the child I'd just write "see me".

I'm sure that if anyone ever got a hold of this, they'd wonder "well then how the hell is she writing all this?" Well, because Dumbledore gave me this journal and a pen to write in it with. They're both "muggle" technology. I miss being a "muggle"… things seemed easier back then when there was no magic in the world; in my world, at least. I wasn't exactly _normal_ or anything… but I wasn't spending my free time studying magical gadgets and charms or thinking up my own (not that I think they'll work if I ever get up the nerve to try them) as if it was a normal hobby. And I most certainly was not the type of person to be having inappropriate feelings for a man that had a special scowl just for me. No… but now I am. Goody goody, isn't life grand?

Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yeah… I was staring at my paper in disgust. Professor Sprout had asked me to write up an order letter for her to the greenhouse she usually got her seedlings from since she was having a hard time getting everything done today. I thought, since I'd taken some of her needed time away from her that it was the least I could do. Now the paper was splotchy and practically unreadable so I had to start the letter all over again. This just wasn't my day.

As I started on the letter again someone burst into the room and I spilled ink all over everywhere. "DAMN IT!" I screamed, frustrated to no end, and looked up to see a crying Hermione Granger. I stood up, mouth agape, and said, "Miss Granger! What on earth is wrong?"

She ran up to me and hugged me tight, crying into the front of my dress.

I hugged her back and smoothed her hair, making shushing noises. When she'd calmed down a little I smiled down at her gently as I asked, "Now… what's wrong?"

She sniffed, eyes red, "He's an idiot Professor Tingstrom! He really, _really_ is!"

I frowned, "Oh dear… which he are we talking about and why is he an idiot?"

"Ronald! He… he… he doesn't see _anything_! All he can do is ask me to help him with his homework or… and he just… he just doesn't…" She was practically choking on sobs.

I know it was probably inappropriate of me… but I began to laugh and hugged her. "Oh, Hermione… my dear… he's a _boy_! What on earth do you expect him to do? Shower you with chocolates and roses while serenading your beauty? Because even if he did, I'll tell you what, the situation would most likely still not be ideal."

She shook her head and said, "No… it's… it's just that…"

"You want him to like you too?" I asked, helpfully.

She nodded.

I smiled, "He's just a boy Hermione, give him time. There's still a good chance he might return your feelings, if he doesn't already. It's just that… now how can I put this without sounding sexist…?" I thought for a moment, and then shook my head. "I can't, men are often idiots and there's absolutely no cure for it. The fact that women are often idiots doesn't help much either. There are different personalities clashing, different ways of showing affection, self-confidence levels that are so very hard to read at times… relationships are hard. They just are. So, all I can tell you is that if you _truly_ like Ronald then you'll just have to stick it out. Hint that you like him whenever you can, and if push comes to shove these _are_ modern times and you _can_ ask him out yourself."

She gave me a disgusted look.

I laughed, "Or not. Look, the point is that it's just life Hermione. And life… well… it's sort of like a big vat of mystery goo. You don't know what it's for, or what it's made out of but… well… there it is. At the very least it's interesting."

She laughed and I smiled. "Thank you for talking to me Professor I… I know that I shouldn't have burdened you with my problems it's just that… you always seem to have the answers and I thought you might listen to me."

I snorted at the "you always seem to have the answers" comment, but smiled at the latter. "Of course, you're my student Miss Granger. I may not be the perfect teacher, but I would certainly never turn away someone who was in trouble or upset."

She smiled at me, nodding and wiping away the last of her tears.

I smiled and said, "Now, go on… I believe it's about time for dinner."

She gasped and said, "Yes! I'll see you later Professor!" She waved to me as she ran out the door.

I chuckled and shook my head. For some reason I began to get the feeling that somewhere along the way I'd put myself on a downward slope of some kind… oh well, what else is new?

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I was at dinner and Professor McGonagall had sat next to me, telling me about new discoveries in transfiguration. I found it very interesting and we had a steady conversation up until McGonagall noticed I was drinking a lot of coffee. She raised her eyebrows and said, "Feeling a bit sleepy Katherine?"

I shook my head and said, "No, it's just that I have a detention tonight with both Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy…"

Before I could even finish my sentence she pulled out a flask of firewhiskey and poured some into my cup.

I looked at her, blinking, before laughing and saying, "Thank you Minerva." I picked up the cup and started sipping it.

-------------------------------------------------

When it was finally time for detention I was a little bit more relaxed, though not unable to make the boys' lives a living hell if they didn't behave.

Draco came in first and quickly went up to my desk, smiling. "Alright Professor, what is the plan? Are you going to let me off for good behavior? Make Potter reorganize your books while I supervise?"

I frowned, "Mr. Malfoy, just _when_ did you begin to believe I favored you more than Mr. Potter? I'll have you know that I do not choose favorites, and that even if I _did_ it would be someone who wouldn't take advantage. Please sit down."

He frowned and whined, "But Professor!!!!"

I sighed and then gave him my sweetest smile, "Now, Mr. Malfoy… you wouldn't want me to get into trouble with the Headmaster would you? If I don't treat everyone in my class equally I wouldn't get the same consideration that a veteran teacher would. He would call me down to his office for a lecture in a moment. I would really appreciate it if you could spare me that."

He smiled at me then and said, "Alright Professor, just this once. And I'll try not to get caught next time."

I did my best to keep from smirking, "That's very considerate of you Mr. Malfoy, thank you."

He grinned and then went to take his seat.

Soon Harry came in and shared a glare with Draco. He then went up to my desk and smiled, asking, "What do you want me to do Professor?"

I smiled and said, "For now, just take a seat."

He nodded and sat at the table across from Draco.

I closed the book I had been reading and stood up. I went to my bookshelf and brought out two books of philosophy. I opened one to a page that held a particularly interesting discussion about how one shouldn't allow others to dictate their thoughts and feelings and gave the book to Draco. Then I opened up the other book to a page that had a discussion about how one shouldn't let one's ego interfere with good common sense and gave it to Harry. Afterward, I supplied them both with quills and paper saying, "I want you to read the discussions in their entirety and then write an essay about your reaction to it. You may begin now."

They both obviously wanted to groan, but noticed that the other did and stopped. They smiled both smiled at me and said, "Ok Professor!" And began their essay.

I sighed and went back to my book, waiting until the inevitable confrontation between the two. It was obvious now that they both thought I favored _them_ more than their rival, and wanted to prove what lovely students they were in comparison to the other. If a fight didn't break out I would be very surprised.

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After I'd sent both the boys to their houses with week long detentions with Filch and fifty house points taken away from each I reflected upon the fact that detentions probably weren't my talent. Somewhere between the getting hit by the stray bat bogey hex as I tried to get them to stop fighting, and both boys trying to help me and ending up starting a brand new fight I decided that the boys just weren't afraid of me enough for my detentions to be effective.

So now I was walking down the hallways of Hogwarts as fast as I could towards the hospital wing and praying that nobody would see me.

But of course someone did…

Guess who?

"What on _earth_ happened to you Professor Tingstrom?" Snape asked, looking at me with shock and revoltion.

I snarled and said, "I _don't_ want to talk about it!" Before stomping away in a huff. As I walked away I could have sworn I heard the man laughing… damned, horrendous man.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world, or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of them. I will, however, do my best to portray them to the best of my ability.

Please review so that I know how I'm doing.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was surprised when Professor Sprout came into my office the next day, but happy. I've found that I enjoy Professor Sprout's company a great deal, as she's very good natured but also quite spirited in her own way. Both of which are absolute redeeming qualities in my book.

She sat in front of me, smiling, and handing me a plant. It was a sort of green, stemy, leafy sort of plant with tiny purple flowers.

I smiled slightly and said, "Uh… thank you. Not that your tour wasn't very informative Professor Sprout but… what is it?"

She smile at me and said, "You can call me Pomona dear, and it's a fluxweed plant. It helps with change… and if need be you can use it to get on Professor Snape's good side by letting him use it for polyjuice potion."

I laughed and said, "Well, thank you. I could use the help with change… though I think Professor Snape would rather go pick a plant from the wild rather than ask me to help him by producing some of mine."

She smiled softly at me and tilted her head slightly, "You two rather fancy one another, don't you?"

I blinked and then chuckled awkwardly, "Whatever gave you that idea Pomona? We work together, and I assure you that's all. Whatever caused you to bring me this lovely plant anyway?"

She frowned slightly and said, "I heard about your detention with Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy and thought you could use a bit of cheering up. Now don't lie to me Kathy, if we're to be friends we must be honest with one another."

I blinked. Friends? Whoever said anything about us being _friends_?

But then I smiled slightly, deciding that being friends with Pomona would be lovely, and said, "I don't know what's going on between Professor Snape and me… I truly don't. It's not that he isn't fairly consistent with the way he treats me… it's all just rather baffling."

She nodded her head in understanding, "He can be that way sometimes. Trust me; I've known the boy a long time. He's a good lad, but agreeable he isn't."

I chuckled and said, "So I've noticed." I sighed and twirled a little hair around my finger, "But I rather like that."

She smiled at me.

I sighed and put a hand to my forehead, "Please don't smile at me like that, it's rather awkward at this point. All this talking about it already makes me feel like I'm sixteen again and have a crush on a boy…" I shook my head and said, "Which is even more awkward… considering I had a boyfriend at that time."

She raised her eyebrows, "Steady?"

I nodded, "Very." I smiled slightly, "We liked each other before we were even supposed to like the opposite sex… when we were fourteen he finally got the courage to ask me out…"

She looked at me sympathetically, "What happened?"

I looked at the plant, reaching out to touch it gently. I didn't really want to talk about this, I didn't even like to _think_ about it. But… maybe I should… Pomona wouldn't talk about it to anyone else, I could tell. "He died. It… it was… it just sort of happened. At first he was fine, just fine… and then he came over and told me he was… he was sick… and he just sort of… wasted away in front of me and there was nothing I could do. He just… died."

She gasped and covered her mouth, "Oh my dear! What… how long ago did this happen?"

I pinched the top of my nose and said, "Three years ago. He died just before we were going to graduate." I shook my head and leaned back, "He made me promise… he said that he knew I loved him… but that he was going to die, and that he wanted me to go on with my life. He didn't want to be responsible for me growing old alone."

She looked at me quietly, with understanding in her eyes, "And did you?"

I smirked, "I like to think so. It took me a while, but… but I'm about as alright with it as I'm ever going to be.'

She shook her head, "And now when you finally start to fancy someone else he's Professor Snape."

I laughed and covered my forehead, "Yes! See! You understand!"

She smiled and nodded, "Yes, and you just admitted that you fancy him too."

I sighed and closed my eyes, "Dear Merlin… I suppose I did."

She reached out and took my hand, patting it, "It's alright Kathy, everything will work out just fine."

I shook my head, "I keep telling myself that over… and over… and over again. I'm waiting for it to work." I sighed and looked at the plant again, "Just to warn you… I'm a horrid gardener. I'm not sure how well your lovely plant will fare."

She just smiled warmly at me, "Not to worry, we'll work something out."

I smiled at her, "Thank you Pomona."

She patted my hand, "You're welcome."

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"I don't see _why_ I should have to get a dress! My other dresses are perfectly acceptable…" I started.

"For day to day wear, Professor! But this is a special occasion! You need something gorgeous, something that will turn heads!" Cho said enthusiastically as she looked through the rack of dresses at the local dress shop in Hogsmede.

Eventually she handed me a dress and I looked at it, frowning, "Miss Chang, this isn't my size."

She shook her head, "It's good to get a dress that's a little too small, it highlights your assets."

I scowled, "I don't even want to know how that thought got into your head… But as it happens, you couldn't get me into this dress if you covered me in butter." I handed it to her, "Here, if I _must_ do this then I'm picking out my own dress."

She smiled and stood back, "Alright."

I went through the racks, and one after one Cho insisted that they were unacceptable. Finally I chose a flowing, white dress that went just below my ankles and had a v-neck with flowing sleeves. "Is _this_ acceptable for me to wear as a _chaperone_ at the Yule Ball?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yes, that will do. Though you _should_ wear something younger…"

I held up my hand, "I'm young enough… thank you." After I'd tried it on to make sure it fit, I purchased the dress and was out of the dress shop as soon as possible.

Cho followed me and said, "What are we going to do next, Professor?"

I scowled, "_We_ are not going to do anything. _I_ am going to enjoy my day at Hogsmede and _you_ are going to find your friends that are your _own_ age to play with."

She frowned, "Don't talk to me like I'm a child!"

I rolled my eyes, "I shall talk to you however I choose young lady. Now do go away. I appreciate your help in finding my dress, but go away."

She studied me for a moment, and then smiled, "You don't mean it Professor." She hugged me.

I was about ready to shove her off, when Remus came up and said, "Professor Tingstrom! Come quick! I need your help!"

I gasped and said, "I'm coming!"

Cho let go, startled, and said, "What's going on?!?"

"No time!" Remus said, waving back at her and running away with me while holding my hand.

When we were finally out of sight of her he slowed down and I looked up at him, "What was the emergency?"

He shrugged, "I've missed you, and Cho didn't seem to want to share."

I blinked at him and then laughed, wrapping my arms around him to hug him close while smiling, "We had tea yesterday."

He hugged me back, "Semantics…"

I looked up at him and he smiled at me, lifting a hand to cup my cheek and look into my eyes.

I blushed and pulled away from him, walking next to him, "The winter holiday is coming soon… any plans?"

He nodded, "I was thinking about spending it with Sirius and Harry… they're fixing up his family home in Grimuald Place. What about you?"

I shrugged, "I bought a flat near Diagon Alley. I have to fix it up as well, but it seems like it'll be very nice in the end."

He smiled, "Good. You deserve to have a nice place to go."

I smiled, taking his hand and squeezing it, "You do too."

He smiled, looking at me for a moment, and then leaned forward as if to kiss me.

I went wide eyed and was about to jump away when I heard a familiar voice growl, "I somehow doubt it would be a good influence on the students to see their professors snogging in the middle of Hogsmede." Snape glared at me, "And I believe it would be rather hypocritical of you Professor Tingstrom."

I glared and pulled away from Remus so that I could yell at Snape, "I'll have you know that we were _not_ snogging, as you so gracefully put it! We were merely talking! And, quite frankly, I don't see how it is _any_ of your business what we do in our free time Professor Snape!"

He scowled fiercely at me, "Trust me, I don't care one way or another what you do in your free time Tingstrom. Just so long as it doesn't interfere with what we are teaching our students.'

I narrowed my eyes and hissed, "It won't, trust me."

He straightened up and narrowed his eyes disgustedly at me, "I should certainly hope not."

I glared at him the entire time he left, not allowing myself to appreciate the view of Snape's nicely formed ass or billowing robes.

When I turned to Remus, he looked hurt. "Why did you do that?"

I blinked, "Do what?"

"You just… pulled away from me. Then you acted as if I wasn't even here as you argued with Severus… what's going on Katherine?" He asked me quietly.

I blinked, and then looked at him apologetically, "I'm sorry Remus I… I was just angry."

He tilted his head, "You seem to get especially angry whenever Severus is involved. What's going on between you two?"

I shook my head, "Nothing Remus we… just argue a lot. And he's just very disagreeable."

He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair, then looks up at me, "If there was something going on between you two something… personal… you would tell me right?"

I smiled and said, "Of course Remus, you're my best friend." I wrapped my arm around his.

He nodded solemnly, "Of course… yes, of course I am." We began walking together again. I wished that there was something else I could say, and more than anything I wished I could just return Remus' kiss and feelings instead of harboring feelings for that disagreeable man. But I suppose… we just… can't get what we want, can we?


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world. I am also not making any profit from this story. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my ability.

Please review so that I know how I'm doing. I truly appreciate every review I'm given and take them into serious consideration.

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I stood in front of my mirror and frowned. I tilted my head from one side to another, taking what I saw into serious consideration. I've been called pretty and even beautiful on occasion, though I never really saw it. Brown hair, brown eyes, relatively pale, rather short and slender with a somewhat watered down hourglass figure… soft, almost girlish features… I really don't see what the big deal is. I'm a brunette woman who still looks like she's 17, there's nothing special about me. You could never mistake me for a fairy tale princess or a model, I'm not particularly charming, and I've got all the characteristics of a feminist except for being a man hater and replacing he with she and spelling woman as womyn. SO WHY THE FUCK AM I BEING PURSUED BY MY BEST FRIEND AND A MAN I CAN'T STAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And if I'm so damn attractive, why isn't the man I WANT chasing after me? Huh? HUH?

I glanced over to the note I'd thrown onto my dresser. Sirius Black had taken great pains to let me know that he would be showing up to help with the Yule Ball, and he expected me to save a dance for him.

I frowned, he could expect all he wanted but that didn't mean he'd get anything.

At that point I decided that all this annoyance was doing nothing to help get me ready for the ball. A ball… really… what am I, Cinderella? I really hope not, I can't stand Prince Charming. Honestly, what kind of woman wants some pretentious twit with a silk suit and a cheesy smile fawning over her and handing her roses? No thank you, I always liked the black knight who turned out to be a good guy; Strong, brave, not afraid to inform the stupid twits that were making a muck of things that… well… that they were stupid twits and were making a muck of things. Oh yeah, sexy.

sigh I'm pathetic, aren't I?

I made one last attempt to pile my hair onto my head, without success. Honestly, the only tricks my hair knows are lay down and pull back. Anything else, just forget about it. I end up putting my hair into a pony tail and then twisting it around itself into a bun and then pinning it onto my head with what is probably an exorbitant amount of pins.

"That works," I said after shaking my head a few times to make sure it wouldn't fall down. Of course, as soon as I said that, a few hairs fell down. But they softened the whole bun look so I didn't really mind… not that I could have been bothered to fix it if I _had_ but that's beside the point.

I walked out of my room and jumped in surprise when I saw that Remus was waiting just outside the door, his hand raised to knock. He smiled at me and said, "Hello."

I smiled shyly back, "Hello Remus… did I forget that we were supposed to meet?"

He blushed slightly and shook his head, "No… I just… I thought since we were going to the same place, that I'd walk you. I know that I could certainly use the company."

I smiled and said, "Alright then." I put my hand on his arm, "Let's go."

He smiled and said, "Alright."

We walked to the ball in relative silence, but as soon as we entered the room of requirements every head turned. I went slightly wide eyed and paused, whispering to Remus, "What are they staring at?"

He smiled and teased, "You do look rather pretty Katherine."

I scowled and said, "Remus, although your attempts at humor are usually spot on… that isn't funny."

He chuckled and led me down the stairs, patting my hand comfortingly.

When we got to the other professors they all greeted us warmly (well… _most_ of them did, Snape of course scowled as if someone had just stuck a rod up his ass) and remarked on how fine we looked.

I looked at Remus then and smiled, he _did_ look quite fetching in the dress robes he'd borrowed from Sirius (which I suspected, much as I dislike him, that Sirius had bought just for him anyway). The dark maroon color went well with his sandy colored hair and golden eyes, his long hair was tied up in a leather string and I must admit that he was positively dashing.

He saw me looking at him and blushed, "What?"

I just chuckled and said, "You really do clean up quite well Remus."

He blushed even more, but grinned, "Thank you Katherine."

I shrugged, "Merely the truth."

I heard a disgusted snort, and turned to see Snape giving us the evil eye.

I just smiled at him and said sweetly, "You look nice too Professor Snape."

He made a face and said, "I have no need of your flippish compliments Tingstrom."

I smiled softly at him and said, "Now Severus, I assure you, I do not give out compliments in anything but complete earnest."

He glared at me, but didn't see anything else.

I turned and smiled at Remus again, who happily returned the smile, and wrapped an arm around his while leaning against his shoulder; my strong, steady friend whom I truly do care for.

After a little while he turned to me and asked, "Would you like to dance?"

I frowned, "I'm not a very good dancer."

He laughed and said, "Neither am I, but let's give it a try… shall we?"

I smiled and said, "Alright."

He led me out to the dance floor and we attempted a waltz. Making fools of ourselves probably, but it was really rather fun.

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I ended up dancing several times with Remus, as well as a few of my students. I was particularly surprised when George Weasley asked me to dance and when he finally convinced me, he didn't play a single trick on me. I was touched.

Finally though, I'd had enough. My feet had been stepped on so many times that I was quite surprised they hadn't been flattened, and the room had begun to smell of body odor. At that point, I walked outside onto the veranda to get a little bit of air. As soon as I got out there though I froze seeing that Snape was already out there, gazing in a sort of trance at the stars.

I thought about turning and going back, but Snape had noticed my presence and frowned, "What do you want Tingstrom?"

I smiled shyly and hobbled over to where he was, "I just needed a little air… quite crowded in there you know."

His face was unreadable as he said, "And you didn't bring your lover out with you?"

I was completely taken aback by that question, and frowned, "What do you mean, _my lover_?"

He snorted, "Honestly, if you can't keep track of them…"

Oh. Hell. No. "Wait _just_ a minute Snape! I don't have _any_ lovers to speak of, so if you are implying…"

He turned to me and snarled, "That you are a flirtatious little twit who is the bane of my existence? That is _precisely_ what I am implying."

I gaped openly a moment before my face contorted in rage and I hissed, stepping closer to him and poking at his chest, "Listen here Snape! I am neither a twit, nor flirtatious… and I am certainly not a whore since that seems to be your subtext. The very idea that I would do something so very horrendous is absolutely…"

He snarled down at me, "I can only go by your _actions_, and considering you have two adult males (albeit idiots) and several students fawning over you regularly then it would by only sensible to conclude that you are a maniacal little siren."

"I am _not_! None of that is my _fault_! I never encouraged any of them to have affection for me!" I said, suddenly feeling rather hurt by his accusations.

He suddenly grabbed me and hissed, shaking me just a little, "You're a liar! I'm always walking in on some man flirting with you… or touching you or…"

I looked into his eyes, "Severus… that's not my _fault_. You have to believe me."

He snarled once again, but let me go. Walking away slightly and holding his forehead. And then he ran his fingers through his hair and straightened himself out, dignified again, while turning back to me. "Anyhow, your personal life is none of my concern Tingstrom. I merely don't want you to give the students…"

I walked up to him and said, "This isn't about the students, Severus. This is about you and me… and I assure you that I haven't been playing around with _anyone's_ affections… I wouldn't _do_ that."

He frowned and growled, "There is absolutely no need to lie to me Tingstrom."

"I'm not _lying_!"

"You are!" He threw up his hands.

"Severus, you know me better than to…" I said, surprised by the pleading in my voice.

"Stop _calling_ me that!" He walked up to me, hands outstretched, and I'm sure he meant to grab me like he has before but this time…

He kissed me.

It was a hard kiss, and he ended up wrapping his arms around me. I meant to wrap my arms around him in turn and return the kiss but he pushed me away. When I looked up at him he momentarily looked frantic before just looking angry and storming off.

I stumbled backwards just a little bit, completely stunned, and rested against the railing. What had just happened? Had Snape really just… kissed me?

I rested my forehead in my hands and shook my head, before suddenly hearing Sirius Black come out and said, "There you are! I've been looking all over for you and… are you alright?"

I looked up and hissed, "FUCK OFF BLACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He gaped at me, but quickly turned and left the veranda.

I slid down and sat on the floor, not caring about the fact that my dress would be filthy. Oh dear… what was I going to do?


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world. Nor am I making any money off of them. I will, however, try to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please review so that I know how I'm doing. I truly appreciate every review I'm given and take them into serious consideration.

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"Come now, it will be alright." I cooed as I smoothed the hair of Neville and Luna as they hugged me tight.

"But… I'm going to miss you!" Neville said, nuzzling into my side.

I smiled and said, "I'm going to miss you too, both of you. But it's time for winter holidays and you have to be with your families now. You'll be back soon enough."

"But what if I need to ask you something?!?" Luna asked, looking up at me with tears in her eyes.

I chuckled and said, "Then you can floo me. Truly, it'll be alright. This isn't the end of the world my darlings." I blinked, surprised with my own affection towards them.

They both sniffed some more at that and it was a long time before I finally calmed them down enough to see them off to their winter holiday.

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I packed things into my new suitcase slowly. I didn't have much, really, just my few clothes (including my original ones) and some books and other essentials that I didn't have at my flat. I looked around and sighed, the truth was that now that I faced being away from the only home I knew here I was more than a little hesitant about it. No students, no Albus, no other teachers, no Remus… no… no Severus… I hated to admit it but I really didn't want to go on holiday. I wanted to stay here, where it was safe and I was useful as well as busy. But what was I going to do all by myself other than mourn over all that I'd lost?

But, the question was… would I even be able to really mourn my old life? I mean… I miss my family and friends, but overall I'm happy here. I have a job that I seem to be getting better at every day, although they can be annoying I _do_ like my students, I feel like I'm helping people, and I have new friends that seem to accept me… or at least the me that I show them. Not only that, but I have a new man in my life to drive me nuts and make me feel sexually frustrated.

It isn't much, I suppose, but it's certainly more than a great deal of other people have. And, since I had absolutely no choice in the matter, I've become resigned to my fate. It is satisfying enough, even if I am never more than just a Hogwarts Professor it would be enough. After all… it isn't as if I haven't had my share of love and life experiences before I came here. This could be nice, very… pleasant.

I shook my head and closed my suitcase just as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around me. I stiffened up and looked down, noticing that they were wrapped in blue cashmere. I sighed and relaxed against the warm body, "Hello Remus."

He hugged me close and asked once again, "Are you sure that you wouldn't rather just come and stay with us?"

I shook my head, "No Remus, I need to be alone for a while. I have to make a life for myself here in England and I can't do that while visiting someone else's house. Not only that, but me and Sirius together for two weeks? Come on, admit it, there would be a murder."

He laughed sadly and rested his head against mine, "I'm going to miss you."

I patted his hands, "I'm going to miss you too Remus."

"What are you going to do?"

I shrugged, "I don't know Remus… something." I rested against his shoulder and closed my eyes. What _was_ I going to do?

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Before I left, I decided to visit Albus. Although we didn't exactly have weekly teas or anything, he'd been very good to me and had truly helped me through the process of… well… losing my entire world. Didn't think anyone could help anyone with something like that, but he proved me wrong. The truth was that I'd miss the man.

As I went through the door to Albus' office he was immediately upon me with a hug, "Katherine! So glad you stopped by to see me!" He pulled back and smiled at me.

I blinked, truly surprised, but then smiled at him, "Of course Albus, I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. Not after all you've done for me."

He shook his head and smiled, "Not at all, it was my pleasure. Please, sit down."

I nodded and sat down in front of his desk, folding my hands neatly in my lap.

He held out a cup of tea, which I waved off, and then smiled softly at me, "So what are your plans for Christmas?"

I shrugged.

He frowned, "I presumed that you would probably be spending it with Remus, Harry, and Sirius."

I nodded, "Yes, so did they apparently… but they're not my family and I just… it wouldn't feel right. Remus is my best friend, but… I don't know… it seems _wrong_ to share that with him."

He tilted his head and asked, "Is there someone who you wouldn't feel as if it was wrong to share Christmas with?"

"_Severus!"_ My heart immediately screamed out. _"I want to spend Christmas with Severus and have him hold me and kiss each other and… and be good together. I'm going to miss him. I don't want him to let me go without him!"_

I shook my head and said, "You know perfectly well that I don't have anyone Albus… I don't mind spending Christmas with it just being C.B. and me. It'll be… nice. I'll catch up on lesson planning, finish decorating my house, read some books for fun instead of just on magic… it'll be just what I need." Other than the dream of my heart, it was the absolute truth.

He didn't seem convinced but nodded, "It seems as though you have everything all planned out."

I nodded slightly and smoothed out my dress, not wanting to look at him, "Precisely."

I nodded and said, "Very well then."

I looked up and gave a slightly watered down smile.

He stood up and I followed. We shook hands and he looked into my eyes, "But one must remember… sometimes things not going exactly as planned can be a good thing."

I blinked, but answered warily, "I suppose. Uhm… I shall see you after the Christmas holiday is up Albus."

He smiled, "Yes, see you then. Do try to enjoy yourself."

I nodded, "You too Albus." With that, I left; completely confused about the entire conversation.

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As I walked out of Hogwarts, C.B. came to rest on my shoulder and nuzzled me affectionately.

I smiled and rubbed his head, "Well, you'll always be here for me… won't you my little love?"

C.B. cooed at me while looking at me adoringly.

I grinned and kissed him softly on the side of his head, "Thought so. It's off to the… uhm… alley, we go!" I said, raising my hand in the air in mock triumph.

While I was walking away though, I got this funny feeling like I was being watched. Never an easy thing to happen in a world full of magic and murderous wizards I must say…

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I stepped back from the wall I'd just painted and smiled. I'd had a hell of a time figuring out what color to paint the wall, and was proud I'd finally done it. It was a sort of reddish… orangish… brown. Like a desert sand kind of brown. Really nice and neither a Hogwarts house color nor the color of those awful stone walls at Hogwarts. This was the color of my own, personal flat. Separate from everything else. Good, really good.

Now if I could just turn around and not fantasize about a dark man reading on my sofa I'd be set.

Ah, shit, whatever. It was getting easier and easier to feel like my old, not love sick self again. I had my decorating duties, my books, my study plans, and my cute little owl who tried to attack anything unfamiliar that came to the door or window. Yep, the holiday was pretty good so far… the entire second day of it.

I sighed and flopped down onto my couch, C.B. perching next to my head and hooting questioningly.

I scratched C.B.'s head and said, "I'm alright C.B., just a little… I don't know. Bleh."

He nuzzled me and then perched on my head.

I laughed.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door and I raised an eyebrow, "Who the…?" I got up and walked over to the door. I looked through the peep hole, and then blinked. It couldn't be!

I threw open the door and Severus scowled at me, "I have no idea why you couldn't have just gotten this at the damned marketplace, but here!" He shoved a bottle at me.

I scowled; I really wasn't in the mood to be screamed at in my… well, in front of my own flat. "What the hell is this Severus? What do you mean you can't see why I can't get this at the local marketplace? What _is_ this?"

He stared at me as if I'd lost my mind, "The sleeping draught. Albus informed me that you were having a horrible bout of insomnia and that you needed a sleeping draught right away. Not to mention that he insisted that _I_ take it to you _personally_." He scowled.

I raised an eyebrow, "Severus… I _always_ have insomnia. But I haven't told Albus or anyone that. And if I _did_ want to do something about it I would certainly get it from the marketplace, not bother you about it. Since when do I deliberately bother you about _anything_?"

He just stared at me, I believe as confused as I was.

I sighed and smiled slightly, "Would you like to have a cup of tea? Since you came all this way?"

He nodded slowly and walked inside.

I went to the kitchen and went rummaging around for my tea kettle. It's amazing how well I've acclimated to England's social norms… or at least wizarding England's social norms. Hell, in America I barely even invited people into my house and if I liked you well enough to invite you in for a personal visit in the first place you were allowed free range of the fridge as long as you didn't bother me about it or eat the last of anything. But, here I am… making tea for Severus Snape.

I filled up the tea kettle and Severus just sat there, watching me.

After I'd finished filling up the kettle and putting it on the stove to boil I turned around and frowned at Severus, "What exactly is on your mind Professor Snape?"

He frowned and said, "Merely wondering what possible cause Albus had for rushing me over here with an unneeded potion."

I shrugged, going back to looking at the kettle, "Hell if I know how that man's mind works. Honestly… you'd think that he believes we trust and care about each other or something."

He scowled darkly and said, "And nothing could be further from the truth… correct?"

I sighed, "I don't know… you willingly came into my house… are trusting me not to poison your tea… you actually did come over here with the potion…" I turned around and said, "Maybe he was just a little right?"

He snorted in derision as his eyes narrowed.

I laughed and said, "Or not. Far be it from me to believe that Professor Severus Snape could trust or care about anyone, least of all me." I hoped that didn't sound as bitter as it had in my own ears.

The kettle started whistling, which was convenient because it covered up my sigh. I took the pot off the stove and went to get some cups. I looked through my tea and asked, "Is earl grey alright? Or would you rather have mint tea?"

"Earl Grey is fine." He said quietly, almost thoughtfully.

I nodded, still not looking at him, and fixed the tea. It was loose leaf so it took a few moments, which was good since it gave me time to gather my thoughts.

When I turned around and set the cup in front of Severus, he looked at me and caught my eyes.

We stared at each other for a long moment before he cupped my cheek and pulled my face to his for a gentle kiss.

It was wonderful… magical… everything I'd imagined and more… you know, all that romantic crap. But that didn't deter from the fact that… 

I pulled away and said, "No." I backed away from him and braced my hands against the counter.

I looked up at him and he momentarily looked hurt, before looking indifferent again and saying, "Yes, well…"

"No Severus, it's not that I don't want to kiss you. I'm not _rejecting_ you. But if this is going to be like last time where you kiss me and then walk away as if nothing ever happened, then I don't want any part of it." I said softly, but firmly. "Severus, I actually _do_ care about you… and I trust you… but so far your behavior towards me has been confusing at best. I know you believe different, but the truth is I'm _not_ a child anymore. I'm a grown woman and I am much too old to put up with someone who can't make up their mind about their feelings towards me and makes me a complete wreck in the process. So it's best to state this at the front." I look him in the eyes, "I would have absolutely no objections if you decided that you cared about me, and I won't cause problems for you if you don't. But until you make up your mind about what you want from me I don't want to see you or speak to you on anything but professional terms."

He just stared at me for a long moment, before finally saying, "I see…" He looked down at his hands for a long time, and I watched him quietly.

Finally he looked up at me and just said, "The truth is though, Tingstrom… The Headmaster never told me to bring you that potion."

I blinked at him, completely taken aback, "What?"

He stood up and walked over to me. Slowly, carefully, he reached out a hand and gently grazed his fingers along my collar bone, and then my cheek. He looked into my eyes and said, "Sometimes when I am on patrol I can see candlelight still on in your bedroom from below your door, even late into the night. Since I highly doubt that you are still afraid of the dark, I naturally assumed that you had insomnia."

I was speechless, all I could do was stare.

A small, ghost of a smile crossed his face and he said, "I… I missed… I missed there being someone else in the castle who was somewhat tolerable, and wanted to make sure that you hadn't caught fire to your flat or something else completely dunderheaded whilst you've been away."

I blinked, but smiled slightly, "I've only been gone two days."

He looked deeply into my eyes and whispered, "Still…" He leaned down and kissed me.

This time though, I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. I could definitely live with that for now.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world (damn it!), nor am I making any money off of this story. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Review please! It lets me know how I'm doing and I always take your critiques into serious consideration. Plus, I really like hearing from you.

P.S. How many chapters are in this story? I have no idea, but there are going to be a lot. In my original version there were a little over thirty, but since this version is going to be more detailed… uh… yeah. I'll leave that to your imagination. Sorry, I hope you don't mind.

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I was lying in bed, alone, when I woke up. Not that I expected NOT to be alone… necessarily… but I vaguely remembered something about Snape and I kissing and then falling asleep on the couch. Why was I in bed then? Had it been a dream or something?

I wouldn't put it past my subconscious.

I looked down and saw that I was still in the clothes I'd been wearing the previous night… unfortunately that wasn't an argument for my case either. After all, I'd fallen asleep in my day clothes on another memorable occasion as well. Although the memorable occasion had been the day after I fell asleep in my clothes, not the night before… but that's beside the point!!!!

I walked through the sitting room, then the kitchen, and since the bathroom was open and vacant… obviously… I had no idea. I sighed and decided to take a shower and change into something clean. C.B. flew into my bedroom with a pleasant little hoot and I smiled at him, "I'll fix us a lovely breakfast right after I take a shower, alright m'love?"

He hooted in agreement.

I smiled and picked out a pair of jeans and a large black wool sweater to wear. One wonderful thing about being outside of Hogwarts was that I didn't feel obligated to always adhere to the wizard dress code; I could wear whatever the hell I wanted. That, of course, meant jeans and comfortable tops. They might not be anything glamorous, but wearing normal clothes made me feel more human than I ever did in Hogwarts.

I stepped in the shower and tried not to think about Severus or the current situation… or… non-situation that happened. I picked up my soap and frowned, I miss my Japanese cherry blossom body wash… hell, I miss there being such a thing as body washes in general. I miss… no… I decided I wasn't going to start reminiscing again on top of everything else. No use morning over something as stupid as soap either, even if the only kind I recognized in the store was sandalwood… which I wasn't particularly fond of.

I showered relatively quickly and got dressed before going into the kitchen and fixing breakfast as promised. As I was putting some sausage into a frying pan my fire perked up loudly, making me turn.

Remus was in my fireplace, smiling at me. "Hello Katherine! Mind if I come over for a visit?"

I smiled and said, "Of course not! Come on over! You're just in time, I was making breakfast."

He walked through and grinned, "What are we having?"

I chuckled and said, "I was thinking something like… eggs, toast, and sausage? I know it's not exactly a proper English breakfast but it's what I know."

He laughed and looked over my shoulder, making it so that I could feel his warm breath across my cheek, "It's perfect… and it smells delicious." For a moment, I could have sworn he nuzzled my ear before pulling back quickly.

I blushed and said, "Well… thank you, I try. Why don't you set the table? The dishes are right over there."

"Alright," He said from behind me. Remus quickly set to work on setting the table as I finished cooking the food.

-----------------------------------------------------

I gave C.B. the last piece of sausage, which he happily devoured, before turning to Remus and smiling. "So… what brings you over here?"

He smiled and was about to answer when there was a knock on the door.

I raised an eyebrow and stood up, walking to the door. When I opened it up… "Severus?"

Severus momentarily had a small ghost of a smile on his face, and opened his mouth to say something before he noticed I wasn't alone. He poked his head in and scowled fiercely, "So sorry… I didn't realize you had _company_."

I frowned and said, "What is it Snape?"

He blinked at me, surprised, and then gave me a look that would kill a lesser person, "Obviously _nothing_."

It was then that I realized that it _hadn't_ been a dream, and he'd come to see me again. Hopefully, without a stupid excuse. I leaned toward him slightly and smiled, "Severus… he's my friend… and nothing happened. Would you like to be alone with me, or do you want to pretend you're here to make sure I haven't killed myself again?"

He frowned, but said, "I'd appreciate not having an audience."

I smiled approvingly and then turned to Remus, who had turned and was frowning at us, with a sad smile. "I'm sorry Remus, we'll have to cut our visit short. Professor Snape and I have to discuss some business."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, but said, "Alright… I'll see you… again Katherine. I'll get out of your way now." He turned and began to walk away.

I frowned slightly, "Remus?"

He turned to me with a questioning look.

I went up to him and put my hand on his shoulder, genuinely concerned, "Is everything ok?"

He looked at me for a long moment, and then smiled while putting his hand on mine, "Of course. I'll see you as soon as I can Katherine."

I smiled, "Good."

He nodded and then went to the fireplace, throwing some powder into the fire and disappearing into it.

When I turned back to Severus he was scowling again, "That was a rather disturbing display."

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.

He straightened up and didn't meet my eyes for a long time. Eventually though he said, "You told me… you didn't want me to kiss you and act as if nothing happened."

I raised both eyebrows and nodded, "True."

He picked at his robes for a moment and said, "I was wondering…" He looked up to my eyes finally, "What your definition of 'acting as if something happened' was."

I smiled and went up to him, touching his hand. When it wasn't batted away or anything I looked into his eyes, "It can mean whatever you need it to. It doesn't mean that we have to start a relationship or anything if you don't want it to, just that maybe we stop the charade of hating each other… at least in private."

He seemed stunned, "But…"

I smiled and looked down at his hand, stroking it carefully, "I know you have a… complicated life Severus. I'm not going to act like a child and force you into anything you don't want. I wouldn't do that to you. Not ever. It's just a bit… upsetting to have… to have our relationship change and not have it acknowledged at all."

He studied me for a long moment and then lifted my chin up, staring into my eyes. For a moment, it was as if he could stare straight into my soul… and then he leaned down and kissed me again. He said against my lips, "I… Katherine."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered as I returned the kiss, "Nobody has to know."

He held me close and kissed me passionately. When that was done he held me against his chest and said, "Katherine… I… you know that I…"

I smiled and nuzzled against him, "I know…" I put a hand on his chest, "Spend Christmas with me?"

He paused for a moment, and then smoothed my hair saying, "As you wish."


	17. Chapter 17

Author's note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any money off of this story. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Review please! It lets me know how I'm doing and I always take your reviews into serious consideration. Also, I truly like hearing from you.

I've been having the strangest dreams lately. Ever since I left Hogwarts…

"_Mummy! Daddy! Mummy! Daddy! Where are you?!?!" I call out as I run through sunlit halls filled with wooden furniture and beautiful art. _

"_Kitty?" I hear my most favorite voice say._

_I look up at my older brother and smile, "William!" I reach up my arms in a silent plea to be picked up._

_He laughed and picked me up into his arms, kissing my cheek, "I take it that you missed me?"_

"_Of course! I always miss you when you're at Hogwarts! Though I know you're with Uncle Albus…" I look into his blue eyes and try not to cry before snuggling into his neck. "You belong with your sister."_

_He chuckled and kissed my temple, "Of course Kitty." He walked me over to the doorway where our parents were coming in from getting William's luggage out of the taxi._

_My mummy smiled and said, "Well it seems that Katherine is very happy to see her big brother… as usual." Her dark reddish brown hair was blowing in the wind, making her look like some sort of painting._

_My Daddy came over, laughing, "I wish you'd spare me some of that affection for when I return home after a trip."_

_I frown defensively, "But you're never gone for months Daddy!"_

_He smiled and said, "True, true… I can't stay away from my girls."_

_I grin, "Exactly! We're irresistible!"_

_He laughed and picked me up out of William's arms, swinging me around, "Absolutely!" His blue eyes are shining and his strawberry blonde hair gleamed in the sun. I'd always thought my father was a King and my mother was a Queen… because, after all, my brother and I were most certainly their Prince and Princess._

_We heard a noise from the road and turned to see who it was. Daddy held me close as the door to the car opened and Mr. Fudge stepped out, looking thoughtful._

_I clutched Daddy close and said, "Daddy?"_

_Suddenly the lovely family scene turned into something completely different. I was sitting in a field picking wildflowers while someone with long grey hair stood next to me, looking towards the house. They were turning to look at me until suddenly green lights started flashing within the house and a green skull with a snake in it flashed in the sky. _

"_Uncle…" I said to my Uncle Albus, my heart tightening with sudden fear._

"NO!!!" I screamed, sitting up in a cold sweat. I couldn't help thinking, "What the FUCK was that? Who were those people? Why was I referring to them as members of my family? I couldn't even REMEMBER when I was that young… And what was??? Oh…" I scowled and hissed, "I'm going to kill him."

Severus sat up from next to me on the bed. We hadn't had… ehem… intimate relations with one another last night, much too tired, but he stayed with me just like he promised. He looked at me questioningly, "Who are you going to kill?"

"That horrible old man!" I yelled, standing up and going into my closet. I grabbed my silver dress and slipped it over my nightgown. Then I went and grabbed my glasses before leaning over and kissing Severus reassuringly with a sigh. "I won't _really_ kill him, but he has a lot of explaining to do."

He nodded and said, "I'll… I'll be here."

I smiled, "Thank you."

He nodded.

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"Albus Dumbledore, what the hell are you up to?!?!?!" I screamed into the floo network.

Shortly Albus came to the fireplace and smiled, "Oh, hello Katherine! Come on over, my dear."

I stepped through the floo and didn't even bother to brush myself off before I pointed at him and hissed, "Why have you been tampering with my dreams."

He looked at me kindly, "They aren't merely dreams."

I frowned, "What is that supposed to mean."

He cupped my cheek and said, "When is your earliest memory Katherine?"

I stepped away from him, "That's none of your business."

"I already know when, I just want you to acknowledge it." When he didn't get an answer from me he sighed and said, "You cannot remember anything before you were eight years old."

I blinked, but didn't say anything.

"Your _mother_ told you that you'd gotten very sick and it had caused memory loss. She explained that you didn't have a father because he'd left you when you were very young. You have no blood siblings, though I have no idea whether or not she's identified any people as other relatives. And you aren't particularly fond of your looks…"

I scowled and said, "What are you blathering on about?"

"And haven't you noticed how it was incredibly easy for you to slip into British linguistics?Why do you think that is?" He asked, looking at me thoughtfully.

I looked away and said, "Are you trying to tell me that I don't know who I am?"

"Katherine…"

I looked at him furiously, "Because if you are… if you're planning on taking even my own identity away from me… then you can just…" Something in his eyes stopped me. A flash of what Albus was hinting was memory, came to my mind. A compassionate looking Albus looking down at me after I'd knocked over a vase. He'd smiled and whispered a charm, making it whole again. He then helped me up, because I'd tripped and that was how I'd knocked over the vase, and suggested we go have milk and biscuits.

I sighed and went to sit in one of the chairs, "Alright… why now? Why do you suddenly want me to know who I am?"

He smiled at me, "Because I believe we've both waited long enough for you to return home."

"I don't look like my parents…" I said thoughtfully.

He chuckled and said, "You look like your mother, except you have the Dumbledore blue eyes."

I looked up at him, frowning, "I don't have blue eyes."

He smiled.

I stood up, nearly shaking, "What have you done to me? What. Have. You. Done?"

"I merely broke the spell that I put you under. But I made it to undo slowly, as to not cause shock." He said softly.

"You should have consulted me first." I said, more calmly than I felt.

"I'm sorry." He said; brave enough to not look away.

I looked up at him with a scowl, "Well sorry doesn't fix it… and I suppose there's no going back to ignorance for me is there?"

He didn't answer me.

"Thought so." I said, turning around and throwing some floo powder into the fireplace.

"Katherine, we should talk about this." He said from behind me.

"Later… later when I'm not so angry with you." I said quietly before stepping through.

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I crawled back into bed with Severus.

He wrapped me in his arms and asked, "What happened?"

I snuggled into him and sighed, "Well… first thing's first… how do you feel about blue eyes in general?"


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this series. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Review Please! It really helps me know how I'm doing, and I truly value your thoughts.

Severus listened to me the entire way through, not saying a word. He just… stared at me. When I was done, he got up and stood beside the bed for a moment. Then he said, "I believe that I should go now."

"I really didn't know about any of this Severus… I didn't lie to you if that's what you're thinking." I said quietly.

He looked at me then, and I could see that he was thinking precisely that. He frowned at me and said, "I will not be made a fool of Professor… You can tell your Uncle that there is no need to go to such elaborate lengths to keep me in line. He should know that by now."

I stiffened up, "What the hell are you talking about?"

He narrowed his eyes at me, "You know _precisely _what I am talking about."

I stood up and glared at him, "Are you _honestly_ accusing me of _whoring myself out to you_? For what?!?!?! You think this is about _control_ or something? Since when do I have control over anything about you? And even if I did I wouldn't…" My heart began to clench, and the worst part is that I knew I hadn't expected much more than this. "Get out. You want to get out, then get out. I'm done with you."

He stiffened up slightly and hissed, "And I with you."

I looked at him, "I hope you're happy with yourself Severus, you've succeeded in preventing anyone getting close to you once again."

He didn't say anything, just walked out the door.

When I heard my front door slam I laid down on my bed and curled into a ball. I wasn't going to cry… I wasn't going to cry over someone who didn't love and trust me… I wasn't… I wasn't…

I fell asleep after that. I had another dream.

_I stared at William momentarily. His dark reddish brown hair and pale skin glowed in the sunlight as he red in the overstuffed chair. I couldn't keep a fond smile off of my face. My brother was always so quiet, so strong, and so very smart. I practically worshipped the ground he walked on, and always had. I quietly walked over to him and sat in his lap, resting my head against his shoulder. _

_He smirked at me and said, "Just make yourself at home, Kitty. This isn't a violation of my personal space at all."_

_I just grinned at him._

_He laughed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "So what is it today? Would you like to know about charms again? Or defense against the dark arts? Maybe potions?"_

"_Defense against the dark arts please. Can I hear about werewolves again?"_

_He laughed, "Why are you fascinated with werewolves? Is it because you like dogs?"_

_I shook my head, "No… It's just… I don't get why everyone's so scared of them. I think they're lovely. I mean… they do bad things when they're in wolf form but you said that they're trying to make a potion that will stop that and… they're people. Why are we all supposed to be afraid of other people?"_

_He smiled and rested his forehead against mine, "That, my sweet sister, is the question for the ages."_

_I sighed and rested my head against his shoulder again, "I think I just might hate most people."_

_He gave me a sad smile and said, "I think we all do in our own ways. But, come on, lets not let idiots put a damper on your lesson."_

_I tried to smile, "Ok William."_

_Then time shifted, and I was suddenly sitting in my Uncle Albus' office reading a first year charm book. I couldn't really understand much of it, but it was bloody fun trying to._

_Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door and Uncle Albus said pleasantly, "Come in!"_

_Just then, a whole gaggle of boys came rushing in. One had glasses, black hair, and blue eyes; Another had grayish eyes and black hair; One sandy coloured hair, golden eyes, and scars…; the last one was pudgy and drab looking… I disliked him immediately for some reason. But then there was one that stuck out of the crowd. He had long black hair, a somewhat large nose, black eyes, pale skin, and quite skinny… he was scowling and the other boys and he were all yelling at each other… but I _liked_ him. I had no idea why, I just did. I found myself hoping that whatever argument they were having he would win._

"_What is the meaning of this?!?!" Uncle Albus said, distressed, as he stood up from his chair. _

_The boys all yelled at once and it was completely indiscernible, and LOUD. _

_My head began to hurt and I couldn't help interrupting by saying, "Uhm… Uncle Albus?"_

_Suddenly, the room was quiet and all the men in the room were staring at me._

_I blushed slightly and asked, "May I go play in the sitting room while they fight? My head is starting to hurt."_

_He smiled warmly at me and said, "Of course my dear. Would you like to take Fawkes with you?"_

_I grinned, "Oh! Yes please Uncle! I would like that very much!"_

_He chuckled and said, "Off you go then."_

_I smiled and nodded. Then I turned to the black eyed boy and grinned, waving while saying, "Bye! Nice meeting you!"_

_The boy just scowled._

_The other boys must have thought I was saying that to all of them, as the other boys waved awkwardly. Though the sandy haired one smiled at me and waved genuinely… I decided that I liked him too._

_I then turned on my heel and skipped off to the sitting room, calling Fawkes to come with me._

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During my first day back after my Christmas holiday I realized fully that two things had changed. One: The children prefer dark reddish brown hair and startlingly blue eyes to my former brown hair and brown eyes. And two: Severus can't even look at me anymore, nor I at him really. I'm not sure that we ever will again. And I feel so… numb about it all. Even as it was happening it just… wasn't possible. It all had happened so fast, just like all of this. I wondered if anything would ever settle into any form of normalcy again. It seems like every time I get used to something, every time I think I've found a home, everything changes. It's just not right.

Damn it! No… no… I am NOT going to sink into depression! Not today, not ever! No! I'm back home… technically… oh, I don't know! I don't know what to think anymore! I don't know where I belong anymore! My family isn't my family, my home isn't my home… my life isn't my life! I'm Katherine Melody Dumbledore… but at the same time I'm Katherine Jessie Tingstrom… who am I? How am I supposed to feel about all of this? Happy? Sad? Oh shit… and now I miss BOTH my families! I miss my kidnapper/nanny/Momma from my other life; But I truly mourn and miss my Mummy, Daddy, and big brother William from this life. I mean… WHO THE HELL HAS SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN TO THEM!!!!!!!!! What the hell did I ever DO to ANYBODY to deserve THIS?!?!?! WHAT!!!! Cause I don't want to do it again damn it!!!!!!!

"_Katherine, you must remember. We draw our strengths from the weaknesses that we refuse to show. So, no matter the circumstances, keep your head held high and your heart strong. That way, I promise you, everything will work out just fine." _ My Mummy said to me once, on my first day of school I believe. I had come home crying because a mean girl in my class had called me a "mudblood". At first, I didn't mind… I was actually rather confused. How on earth did mud get in your blood? And how did you live with it? It sounded awfully unhealthy. But then a person in the classroom had explained what it meant to me, and why it was a bad thing… one thing led to another and I might have "accidentally" given her a black eye as she pulled my hair and bit me. We'd both been sent home, but I'd been extremely upset at the unfairness of being in trouble for defending my Mum's honor. She was a witch, but she was half muggle… which made us part muggle and therefore deserving of the derogatory.

When my mother told me that, though, I realized just how stupid I'd been and decided to take her advice and stay strong no matter what. They could say anything they wanted to me and I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of getting upset… alright, so it didn't really work the way that I'd hoped, but at least I never came home crying again. If I was going to get upset, I got angry. I didn't cry, I didn't let people know they'd hurt me… I wouldn't give them that satisfaction. I hadn't realized while my memory had been blocked why I'd felt that way, so it was good that I remembered now.

In this situation, though, I realize that she didn't just mean not showing weakness in front of bullies. It was about staying strong, even when the world came crashing down around you. When your weaknesses are so many, that the only way you CAN have strength is by your determination to keep them hidden.

Merlin… when did I begin to sound like a self-help book? Enough of this…

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I couldn't be near Unc… Albus these days. My feelings towards him were confusing at best. On the one hand, I was furious with him for giving me up in the first place, and then turning me back into my old self without my knowledge or permission. But at the same time he was my Uncle Albus… and I LOVED my Uncle Albus. He had been one of the four people that had made my world, and being so angry with him now hurt my heart to no end. So I avoided him, and hoped that within the space I'd be able to find some way to forgive him. He seemed to understand that, and let me have the space I needed. For that, at least, I was grateful.

I wasn't sure how to feel about Professor Sprout, really. When she saw me back to my original form, she'd smiled and said, "Ah! Finally all back to normal I see!"

I'd blinked at her then, before turning on my heel and walking out. I hadn't really been in the mood to talk about how one of my friends had been conspiring against me as well.

Then, finally, I'd gotten the courage to talk to Remus about all of this. I was afraid that he'd get angry at me too, and think I'd lied to him as well for one reason or another. I mean… I'd told the students that I'd looked the way I did and gone under the name Tingstrom so that they wouldn't immediately associate me with him, so that I'd be a completely separate person who they could respect or not respect in my own right and not because of their feelings towards my Uncle. They'd seemed to accept that and not harassed me about it, much to my relief.

But Remus…

I'd gone to his office and told him everything. He'd listened attentively, and his expressions hadn't wavered. For a moment, I was truly afraid he'd turn me away just like Severus had. But then he'd leaned back and said, "So what you're telling me is that when you were a little girl a group of death eaters killed your family. Then, to protect you, Dumbledore sent you away with your former nanny along with this… time turner… traveling… device." 

"Sort of a point A to point B thing really…" I said quietly.

He nodded, "And your nanny was angry with him for giving you up, thinking that he didn't deserve you, and so broke connection with him and ran off. Since Dumbledore had blocked your memories and changed your appearance, it was easy for her to get away with it until you got a hold of the device and accidentally transported yourself back. Is that right?"

I nodded.

"And then he suddenly decided, without any sort of warning or even trying to get close to you first, to make you regain your memories and former appearance…"

I nodded again.

There was a long silence and then Remus surprised me by getting up, coming over to me, and wrapping me in his arms. He held me close to his chest and whispered, "I'm so sorry Katherine… this must be so hard on you."

I clung to him, "Oh Remus…"


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any money off of this story. However, I will try to portray the world and characters to the best of my abilities.

Review please! It helps me to know how I'm doing, and I always take your reviews into serious consideration.

You know… I like Mr. Filch. The way he's portrayed in the books really isn't very accurate. He's always portrayed as this hunched over, ugly, mean old guy who has nothing better to do than obsess over catching wayward students. In reality though, or what I've come to see as reality now, he's a fairly good looking man in his early 60's who worries about the students (but doesn't obsess over them or anything) and has a very unusual though sometimes grim sense of humor. Though he does have a tendency to tease students mercilessly and since they don't particularly trust him they actually believe his teasing… which is what makes it fun I suppose, and he can be a bit short tempered. But other than that he's quite pleasant.

Anyway, the reason I say this is because today I had the unfortunate luck of having to call Mr. Filch to my office because one of the students had caused one of my bookcases to collapse because of a wayward hex. So, of course, I had to talk to him about setting up a detention for the child as well as getting my shelf fixed. Most unpleasant.

For a long time Mr. Filch and I stood there, just staring at the shelf and the child. Mr. Filch's grey eyes were thoughtful as I could visibly see him considering the plan of action. After a moment he finally took his hand off of his chin and lifted his arms in the air, "That's it; we'll have to bring out the thumbscrews for this one!"

I had to stifle a snort of laughter and dredged up as much indignation as I could, which wasn't very much, to say, "Mr. Filch, _really_!" Really, that is too funny to say in front of over sensitive children.

The child went wide eyed and looked at me, "Tingy!" He ran up and hugged me, "Tingy, you're not going to let 'im put me in the screws will you?"

I put a hand on his shoulder and sighed dramatically, looking at Mr. Filch, "Well… I _suppose_ not." I looked at Mr. Filch and winked, "Really Mr. Filch, that is just a bit extreme… don't you think?"

He sighed and said, "Oh, all right… I don't see why you all insist on being so damn tender hearted." He shook his head and I could tell he was trying not to laugh, "I'll just have him scrub the lavatory floors tonight."

I smirked, "Oh so generous."

He shrugged and said, "I'll have your bookshelf fixed soon Professor Tingstrom. I promise."

I smiled and nodded, "Thank you Mr. Filch, I appreciate it."

The boy looked up at me and gave a quivering smile, "Thank you Tingy."

I raised an eyebrow, "Don't call me Tingy, you'll tempt me to call Filch back and tell him to get out the screws." When he looked afraid I smiled and chuckled, ruffling his hair.

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"Professor Tingstrom!!!" I heard Ginny Weasley squeal as she flew over to me on her broom. She grinned at me and said, "I heard you stopped Mr. Filch from putting Lionel in the thumb screws, good job!"

I rolled my eyes, "Miss Weasley, really."

She laughed and landed, walking next to me, "Why do you always act so stiff? We all know you're one of us."

I was torn between wanting to rip her apart for daring to talk to me like that and curiosity, "One of whom Miss Weasley?"

"You know… Gryffindors… the good guys… adventurers." She said, as if I should have known instinctively.

I knew that I had a look on my face as if she'd just proposed I watch porn with her creepy Uncle Bob but I really didn't care. I'm getting rather sick of people telling me what I am and what I am not, and excluding griffindors as good guys is one of the most distressing things I've ever heard. "Miss Weasley, I would take a very hard look at myself before I made an insistence like that. I was never sorted into a house, for all you know I was a slytherin by nature. Besides that, if I choose to be stiff that is _my_ choice and I will thank you not to appoint yourself my personal counselor." With that I turned and started to walk away. I heard her chuckling behind me and I turned around, giving her a look that would have done Snape proud. She stiffened up and went quiet immediately.

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Before I left Diagon Alley for Hogwarts I went to Muggle London and went shopping. If this was my world, then at least some of my favorite music existed. So I bought a walkman and some "The Ramones", "The Beatles", some Motown, etc… I knew I'd probably have to hide it, but I really didn't care.

I was singing to myself that night and dancing like the dork I really was;

"I have never known  
The like of this, I've been alone  
And I have missed things  
And kept out of sight  
But other girls were never quite  
Like this, da-da-n'da-da'n'da.  
Falling, yes I am falling,  
And she keeps calling…" Before I turned around and screamed.

Sev… Snape was standing there, looking at me. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Am I interrupting something?"

I cleared my throat and tried to look as dignified as possible, "I didn't know you were in the habit of asking obvious questions Professor Snape."

He looked slightly shocked at first, and then scowled at me. "The Headmaster has called a meeting, and niece or not you are required to be there as well. So I suggest you put away your toys and put on something suitable so that you can present yourself to your collegues as the adult you insist you are."

I knew that I could have gotten angry at that, but instead I just said calmly, "Since when have I ever done otherwise Professor?"

He just looked at me for a moment, and his look was actually someone soft for just a moment. Then he scowled again and slammed the door before leaving.

When he left I walked to the door and leaned my head against it, touching the wood with my palm. Why was there always a wall between Severus and I? And why could we never just leave it open?

------------------------------------------------------

After the meeting Albus asked me to stay.

I was sitting in front of his desk, uncomfortable as I always am now with all that's between us, and wishing that he'd get to the point when he said, "I imagine… that it's rather hard for you to accept your past completely as reality since all you have now are memories and…"

"And apparently my memories aren't completely to be trusted?" I supplied helpfully.

He coughed and said, "Yes… Well, I thought that I should return certain things to you. I thought that they might help."

I only had time to blink before he plopped a large, wooden box onto my lap. "They were the only things I could salvage from your home."

I opened it up, but closed it again quickly. My brother's face had been staring at me, and I found it quite disturbing.

But then I couldn't help myself. I opened up the box and brought out the picture of my brother's first return from Hogwarts. He'd been wearing his green and silver tie as well as a look of complete exhaustion, and all I could remember was wanting to comfort him.

"_William!!!!!!" I screamed, running over to him._

_For the first time in my life, William didn't meet me with an open embrace. He just looked down at me and smiled, "Hello Kitty."_

_I frowned up at him and asked, "What's wrong William?"_

_He sighed and kneeled down, pulling out his tie for me. "You see this?" I nodded. "This means that I'm never going to fit in here at home again, or at school."_

_I studied it for a moment, then asked, "Why? Do Mummy and Daddy not like green?"_

_He shook his head, "It means I'm a Slytherin, and we're a Griffendor family."_

_I snorted, "What's that have to do with anything?"_

"_People in Slytherin become dark wizards Kitty," He said with a hard look in his eyes._

"_But what does that have to do with anything William? I LIKE the dark… and besides… you're still my brother William… right?"_

_He nodded._

_I smiled and kissed his cheek, "Then stop being so stupid and come inside. You're going to catch nuponia." _

_He shook his head and said, "It's pneaumonia Kitty… and this isn't dark like night. Dark wizards are bad people."_

"_Oh… but… they can't ALL turn into bad people, or else they wouldn't have the house anymore."_

_He blinked, "I suppose not…"_

"_And Uncle Albus… he told me that Slytherins were clever and ambitious and… and… really neat when you think about it. I still don't see where the problem is. You're clever and you want to be uhm… successful is the word right? And you're really neat too of course… And what does it matter if you fit in? You always told me it was good not to fit in, that the only way to be a real person was to stand out."_

_A small smile twitched on his lips, "I suppose you're right."_

_I put my hands on his shoulders, and looked into his eyes, "And you're not a bad person… are you William?"_

_He got a somewhat haunted look in his eyes then, though I couldn't really understand it then, and said, "I really hope not Kitty, I really hope not."_

I threw the picture back in the box and shut it. I just stared at it for a long time and when Albus said, "Katherine…" I held up my hand.

"Don't… Just don't." I looked up at him, "You've taken everything away from me, and now you expect that the reminder is going to help me? You didn't even let me mourn my family before you erased my memory and sent me away. I have nightmares now because of you." I clenched my fist and looked away, "How am I supposed to forgive you for all that you've done to me? You've lied to me, sent me away, caused things to happen to me… caused me to feel things that… nobody who loves someone would do such things." I looked up at him, "So just don't." I stood up, carrying the box with me. "I wish… I wish at least William had lived… then I wouldn't be so alone."

As I was walking out I could have sworn I heard him say, "Me too…"


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any money off of this series. However, I will do my best to portray them accurately.

Review please! It lets me know how I'm doing and I always take your reviews into serious consideration.

"_William, what do you think you're doing? Give me that! How many times have I told you I don't like you hanging around this room anymore. You're to stay in the library, on the grounds, or in Katherine or your room. And I only let you into Katherine's room because she'd throw a fit if I didn't." Daddy said to William, who had only gone into the kitchen to get me a drink of water. No wonder he'd been so reluctant…_

_William glared at Daddy, "That's right, because unlike you Katherine actually loves me! And what'll happen if she turns out not to be the perfect little child too? Will you treat her like a convict as well?!?!?!"_

"_Your sister is nothing like you!!!! She's a good girl, and I absolutely will NOT let you take her down to your level!!!!!!!"_

"_And what exactly IS my level __**Daddy**__? What, just because I'm not the perfect little Gryffindor I'm not fit to be a part of this family any more? Well, I'll tell you this. Katherine isn't like YOU either. She's her own person, and she's never going to fit into your perfect little plan of how life should be. I know for a fact that life has great things in store for her, and by Merlin I hope that she disappoints you in every way possible because of it! In fact, I'll see to it." William hissed. _

_I was trying not to cry. I'd never heard Daddy or William raise their voices before, I was frightened by it._

"_Why you little git!!!" I actually SAW Daddy raise his hand as if to hit William!_

"_DADDY NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I screamed, jumping in front of William and wrapping my arms around his waist. I couldn't hold back the few frightened tears as I stared at my father while pressed close to William, "What are you doing?!?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!"_

_Father looked shocked, and worried, "Katherine, it's not what it looks like." He reaches out a hand towards me._

_I gasped and snuggled closer to William, not wanting Father to touch me._

_William wrapped his arms around me protectively and glared at Father, "See what you've done now?" He picked me up into his arms and carried me outside, neither of us looking back at Father._

_When we got outside I sniffled a little bit and asked, "How long has he been like that William?"_

_He sighed and said, "Ever since he found out I was a Slytherin."_

_I buried my face into his chest, "And Mummy?"_

"_Her too. They didn't like that their little prince was put in the 'snake house'." He said bitterly._

_I looked up at him sadly, "Why didn't you tell me?"_

_He cupped my cheek, looking affectionate but sad, "I didn't want you to worry… and besides, there was no reason for me to take your Mummy and Daddy away too."_

_I shook my head, "You're my brother… I love you. You're the one who takes care of me, you know… if you're not happy… if they're hurting you… then you should let me know and we should do something about it."_

_He hugged me tight, "I am doing something about it Kitty. You'll see, soon I'll be taking you away from here and we'll be happy; just you and me. Won't that be nice?"_

_I smiled, nodding, and rested my head against his chest. "Yes, that would be lovely." We sat there for a long time, him leaning against a tree as I sat on his lap and listened to his heartbeat._

_The skull with the snake in it… that horrible, horrible skull… _

"_Uncle Albus! What are you DOING?!?!?! Why are you doing this to me?!?!?!" I wailed, being dragged by my former nanny. The woman who had been fired because she hadn't approved of Mother and Father's parenting style, and Mother and Father didn't like to be questioned. This was before they stopped liking William, when they doted on us regularly. I didn't want to go with her. I wanted William. Where was William? "What's happening? Where's William?!?! What about my Mother and Father? Where's William? I want William!!!!!!!"_

_Uncle Albus looked at me sadly, taking me from my former nanny's arms and hugging me tight. "I'm so sorry my darling… but you're not going to be able to see your Mother or Father… or William… ever again." _

_I looked up at him, feeling my entire world shatter. "But… they can't be…"_

_He raised his wand with a look I didn't at all trust._

"_What are you doing? What are you doing to me?!?!?!" The nanny held me again._

"_I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry, but this is the only way… I love you Katherine, please know that…" A light shot from his wand and then there was only darkness._

I woke up screaming this morning.

-----------------------------------------------

"So… it isn't his fault after all…" Neville said after reading the last entry in Professor Tingstrom's diary.

Luna shook her head. Surprisingly enough, she hadn't wanted to read Professor Tingstrom's diary. She'd said that she already knew the cause was bursts of magic from the forest and nothing would convince her otherwise. "See, I told you."

Neville shook his head, "No Luna, it's not magical burst either. You see here…"

Just then Professor Snape walked past the doorway and caught them in Professor Tingstrom's office. "What the bloody hell do you two think you're doing?!?" He hissed.

Neville and Luna stiffened up and of course Neville started to stutter out an explination, "We… we were… we were just…"

He snatched the diary out of Neville's hands and took a look at it. Then a dark look set over his face, "Am I understanding the situation correctly when I assume that you've been reading Professor Tingstrom's private writings?"

Neville nodded, ashamed. "I was just trying to help…"

Snape snarled, "By invading her privacy? I'm sure that if Professor Tingstrom was in the right state of mind she wouldn't find it so bloody helpful!"

"I… I just…"

"Twenty points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw! Now get out of my sight!" Snape screamed, pointing towards the door.

The children ran out.

When they were gone Snape closed the door and sat down, diary in hand. He knew he could probably look through this and find the answers to all his questions about Katherine. He could find out her motives for everything, whether or not she truly cared about him… but it would be futile, since deep within himself he'd always known the truth. Katherine would never lie about such a thing. He'd been a fool. He'd been a fool and now he might lose yet another woman that he truly cares about because of bitterness and spite.

A few weeks ago he'd seen her at breakfast, looking pale and ill. He hadn't thought too much of it, as she'd been looking increasingly pale and ill ever since she came back from Christmas holiday. He'd had several theories about why that was, and he understood now in light of what had happened that they'd all been wrong. She hadn't been disappointed that she hadn't been able to trick him, or playing on his sympathies, or worn out from having an affair with Lupin that had taken all her strength… She'd been finding out that everything she knew was a lie, remembering a family that she'd never been able to mourn, been facing everything frightened and alone, probably feeling as if her entire world was crashing around her… and he'd abandoned her the moment it started.

It was yet another sin that he wasn't sure he'd ever be redeemed for.

So he'd let he walk out of breakfast and to her class. Apparently, some Gryffindors and Slytherins had been fighting when she got in… and she'd just snapped. Screaming things about how all four houses were equal and they needed each other for balance. She'd practically wept while asking them to be good to each other, and try to look past their differences to the things that held true for all of them so that maybe, just maybe, there would be peace.

And then she'd fainted dead away, and hadn't woken up since.

He set the diary in one of her desk drawers and closed it quietly. He gripped the edge of the desk and whispered, "Katherine… I'm sorry…"


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this story. However, I will try to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Review Please! It lets me know how I'm doing and I always take your reviews into serious consideration.

_Katherine was distressed. She'd been sitting quietly in her favorite window seat, reading fairy tales. She noticed that there were a great deal of stories where parents abused their children, gave them up at the drop of a hat, or locked them in some weird tower… _

_Would her parents do that?_

_She took hold of her book and ran to the sitting room where she knew they were. When she got there though, they were smiling at each other and holding each other's hand._

_No use trying to talk to them now… they never noticed their children when they were wrapped up in one another, which was most of the time. When they deemed to pay attention to their children, they were absolutely doting in their affections. But most of the time it was a pat on the head and being told to run along and play._

_She missed William._

_Still, maybe this time would be different. Maybe because William was off at school they'd pay more attention to her! Maybe she wouldn't just be their little princess, maybe she'd know why the other kids complained about their parents never leaving them alone!_

_She walked up to them and said, "Mummy? Daddy?"_

_They looked at her, annoyed as usual. "Is this an emergency Katherine?" Her Daddy asked._

_She shook her head, "No… but I was wondering…"_

"_Here love, have some sweets," Her Mummy smiled, holding out the tray of her favorite chocolates. _

_Katherine frowned. She had no idea why her parents thought that sweets were the answer to all children's problems… because they never seemed to help her any._

"_Go on," Her Daddy said pressingly._

_Katherine sighed and took some chocolates, knowing what would happen next._

_Her Daddy patted her on the head and her Mummy smiled, "There you go, now run along Katherine."_

"_Alright…" Katherine said. But as she walked away, she realized that she really was a princess… not a Cinderella type princess… more like that Rapunzel princess who had the long beautiful hair and her doting mother locked her up in the tower for her 'protection'. She wondered if parents realized that all the doting in the world doesn't make up for feeling all alone, locked away inside a tower. And that's exactly how she felt. She had friends at school, but they never came over to play because her parents didn't like children that weren't their own. She couldn't have a pet because her parents found them distasteful… whatever that meant. And now William, who was her entire world, was going to be gone for months at school. It just wasn't fair._

_She plopped down on the grass in the gardens and threw the chocolates far away. Chocolate never solved anything, EVER! The big poopie heads… _

_She looked up at the sky and let herself be carried away. Suddenly she was thinking about her own little fairy tale._

_Once upon a time there was a little kingdom that had a handsome King and a beautiful Queen who loved each other very much. So much that they rarely had time to pay attention to their sweet daughter and very smart son. They doted on them, certainly, but the gifts never amounted to their company. So the Prince looked after the little Princess, his sister, and together they were very happy. Then one day the Prince was called away to slay some really mean dragons and he had to go away, though the little Princess was very upset to see him go. After he left, the little Princess was all alone and didn't know what to do._

_So she went to her Uncle, the greatest, smartest, strongest wizard I the whole wide world and asked him what she had to do to never be lonely ever again._

_He smiled at the little Princess and said, "Why, that's easy my little Princess. I'll just help you find your one true love. He'll stay with you and love you forever and ever, and you'll never have to be alone ever again."_

_She gasped and said, "Who is my one true love? How do I find him?"_

_Katherine sat up and wondered at the answer to that question. Who WAS her one true love? Or at least someone who'd do for the story? Then she thought about the boy she'd seen when she'd been visiting Uncle Albus. The black haired boy with black eyes… the one who she immediately liked… the one who was so very beautiful. She didn't know his name though, although she knew it must be something wonderful, and so she just decided to call him the beautiful Prince._

_He chuckled and said, "Why, the beautiful Prince of course. Who else would be worthy of a sweet little Princess like you? You'll find him in the castle at the end of the world, in the tallest tower…." Uhm, he had to be doing something, right? Her beloved would never just sit around doing nothing… oh! He'd be brewing a potion! She couldn't have a beloved who wasn't good with potions, oh no, potions were much too wonderful. "Brewing a potion most likely. You must go to there and tell him that you love him. And remember, no matter what you shouldn't give up on him, love doesn't come easy for anybody." Or at least that was what William always said._

"_Alright!" The little Princess said, running off to find the beautiful Prince._

_She went past fields and mountains, water and rocks, and eventually found the castle. It was stormy there and the castle was, big and dark with mold and vines growing on it. The little Princess liked it very much indeed. She went to the tallest tower and indeed found him brewing a potion. When she walked into the room he frowned at her, but that didn't stop her from grinning at him and saying, "I love you!"_

_He stared at her for a moment, and then laughed, "Please! You don't love me! You're just here to steal my potion. Be off with you, I don't have time for thieves."_

_She shook her head, "Oh no, I really do love you."_

_He sighed and looked at her, "I'm an ugly, lonely Prince who lives in an ugly, lonely castle. Why would a sweet little Princess like you love me?"_

_She grinned, "I don't think you or your castle are ugly, I think you're both beautiful and interesting. I love you."_

_He snorted and said, "Fine, if you love me, then come over here and slice up these roots for my potion. But I warn you, if you cut them wrong then I'll know that you don't love me and you'll have to go away."_

_She frowned and said, "That's a stupid test, but if it'll get you to know that I love you then so be it." She walked over to the cutting board and found bunches of really strangely shaped roots and a big knife. She had no idea how she was going to cut all of them without hurting herself, but she had to try. So one by one she carefully cut each one, miraculously not ruining the roots, knife, or her fingers. _

_When she was done the beautiful Prince came over and frowned at her work, "You got lucky, this doesn't prove anything though. Next, I want you to go down and give my dog a bath. If I come down there and he's still smelly and ugly then I'll know that you don't love me."_

_She sighed and said, "Yet another really stupid test, but if that will get you to know that I love you ten so be it." She went down and found the dog, and it was definitely stinky but she thought that it's fangs and troubled grey eyes were kind of enduring in an upsetting sort of way._

_She sat down a little ways from it and smiled, saying, "If you want to come over and play, I'm here."_

_It just growled at her for a long time, then, slowly but surely it came over at sat in front of her._

_She smiled and asked politely, "Can I pat your head?"_

_It stared at her for a long moment, then lowered its head and let her pat it._

_She smiled and said, "Thank you. Do you want to come and play with me by the lake? It'll be lots of fun, I promise. I'll even throw a stick for you."_

_The dog blinked but stood up along with her and they went to the lake. She threw a stick for it and eventually one went into the lake and the dog went after it. She ran after it and started petting and rubbing it a great deal. When it was all clean she ran out of the lake, the dog close behind._

_As soon as they came out, the beautiful Prince came over and frowned. "He's still ugly."_

_She gasped and hugged the dog around it's neck, "It is NOT! It was never ugly, it just was left in a yard full of dirt and nothing can look pretty while left in that."_

_The beautiful Prince raised and eyebrow but said, "Alright, so be it. But that still doesn't prove anything. I have one more test for you. If you really love me, then you need to climb up into my potions tower without falling. Then, and only then will I know that you love me."_

_The little Princess growled and said, "That's it! I'm not doing any more of your stupid tests. I love you, and I'll show it to you myself!" She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down to kiss him sweetly on the nose. "Now stop being so stupid." She smiled at him._

_He blinked at her, then slowly smiled too. "Alright, I guess you do love me. I suppose I love you too… after all, it's not every day that I find someone who likes me, my castle, AND my dog. Not to mention can cut up roots without mucking it up."_

_She grinned and hugged him, and he hugged back. They were soon married and when her brother came back from slaying the mean dragons he came to live with them and they all really DID live happily ever after…_

Katherine was aware that this wasn't completely a memory of her childhood, that a great deal of it was a mixture of her feelings and wants (as dreams tended to be). But why was she dreaming still? Why did she feel so tired… so tired. She couldn't wake up. Why couldn't she wake up?

"Professor Tingstrom?" A familiar voice said, "It's me, Neville. I'm sorry but… I kind of… read your diary. I wasn't trying to invade your privacy or anything, I just wanted to know what happened to you so that maybe I could help." She could feel him resting a hand on hers, "I'm sorry about what happened to you, to your family… I lost my parents too, to death eaters as well. Now I have to live with my Grandmother… she scares me though. You think… you think when you wake up, that maybe we could take care of each other? I don't think you should be alone anymore, and I know I'd be much happier if I could stay with you. You could tell my Grandmother that you wanted to tutor me or something, she'd agree to that. We could live in a nice house in the country, and I'd make a garden for you and you could help me not be afraid anymore. You think we could?"

Katherine wasn't quite sure how to react to that, and was surprisingly glad that she couldn't have reacted at the moment if she'd wanted to… which she didn't.

He sighed and said, "Anyway… I miss you Professor. We all miss you. Please come back to us?"

Katherine felt her heart start to hurt. Once again people that she cared about were getting hurt, and there was nothing that she could do about it.

---------------------------------------------

"Katherine? Katherine, can you hear me?" Snape sighed and said, "Of course you can't, you're in a coma… this was foolish of me." He looked down at her beautiful, sleeping face and wished with all that he was that she would wake up. "Katherine, I know you weren't trying to manipulate me. Although you do have your similarities at times, you're not your uncle. I should have seen that. I also should not have left you as I did, and I hope that you can… well, that we can move on from that if you ever have the decency to wake up. Honestly, the Headmaster is looking older and being more paternal than ever, and Lupin is walking around looking like a kicked puppy. It's all very vexing and I really wish you would just wake up so we could be done with all of this. And why the hell did you let yourself get so bad, anyway? You should have told your Uncle, or Lupin, or one of your many other admirers… ANYONE. You should have gotten help you stupid, foolish, petulant woman instead of letting yourself be destroyed so thoroughly. Why would you even do that? I always knew you were stubborn, but I had no idea you had lowered yourself to being a downright ass! Honestly Tingstrom, you really are the most infuriating…!!!!"

He stopped and took a deep breath, trying to calm himelf.

"Katherine… wake up. Things are far less tolerable without you around…" He said, brushing some hair away from her face. Then he sighed, turned, and walked out of the hospital wing. He could only hope that he was wrong, that somehow she had heard him.


	22. Chapter 22

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this story. I will, however, try to portray everything to the best of my abilities.

Review please! It helps me know how I'm doing and I always take them into serious consideration.

When Katherine woke up, finally, everyone got an explanation for what had happened. She'd begun having nightmares constantly, which had been causing her to get very little sleep. She was also suffering from malnutrition, which was quite possible since in recent months she had taken more and more meals by herself.

Nobody was allowed to see her now. Poppy had sent her to St. Mungo's and they diagnosed her with post traumatic stress disorder. Although she was awake now, she was still having nightmares and had to be forced to eat. But more than that, she now suffered from severe anxiety that led to paranoia and occasional panic attacks. They wouldn't release anything more than that.

Severus had been surprised, to say the least, when he was called into Dumbledore's office. He found him sitting at his desk, seeming to stare off into the distance. He'd never seen the Headmaster that way…

When Severus walked in Albus smiled weakly and said, "Severus, so good of you to come. Sit down please."

Severus complied and waited to hear what he'd been called up for.

Albus just looked at him for a long time, and then sighed as he shook his head. "I never should have sent her away. My poor little Katherine… she was always such a sweet child. Not to say that she didn't cause her fair amount of trouble, but still very sweet… there's more of that little girl in her than I believe even she knows. I should have known better than to do what I did. First by sending her away and then forcing all those memories back on her after so long a time… it's no wonder the poor girl had to be sent to the hospital. I thought that knowing I was her Uncle would help her to be able to seek support with me… but she wouldn't do that, would she? Not after I broke her trust so severely… And to my surprise, she didn't lean on anyone else either. Not Remus, or Pomona… or even you."

Severus blinked in surprise when he heard that, "Me?"

Albus shook his head, "I could see that she cared for you Severus, it was obvious to anyone that was looking." He sighed, "I called you down here to see if you would go and talk to her. Remus and Pomona both tried, but she threw a fit the moment they walked into her room; and I dare not go myself."

Severus frowned, "And what makes you so sure that she won't react the same way to me? I have no time to put up with the fits of an insane woman."

Albus cringed slightly at that, but then sighed and looked at him with disappointment. "Well, amongst other things… she asked about you today."

That froze him where he sat. Katherine had asked about him? _Him_? Of all people?

Albus nodded, "It's the first coherent thing she's said since she woke up. As I hear she looked up at her nurse during dinner and said, 'Do you know where Professor Snape is? I haven't seen him for a while. Is he well?'"

Severus didn't know how to react to that. Only Katherine would inquire about his health while she was in St. Mungo's mental ward.

"So… will you go to see her?" Albus asked somewhat pleadingly.

Severus just looked at him for a long time before saying, "I'll consider it…" Then he stood up and walked out of the office.

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Severus went to see her that very evening. When he got to St. Mungo's the nurse in charge was very distressed, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that she doesn't take well to visitors."

He scowled at her, "I am Professor Snape, it is my understanding that she has asked for me. I assure you Madame, you can either let me see her or I shall go through you and see her anyway. It is your choice."

She went wide eyed for a moment, and then sighed, "Very well, if you insist. But I warn you, she can be quite violent…"

"I have already observed that Madame…" He couldn't help a small smirk in remembrance.

When the nurse opened the door and went with him inside, she cooed, "Katherine? Sweetheart, there's a visitor for you. It's Professor Snape! Remember him? You asked about him today. Look, he seems quite well… don't you think?"

For a moment, Severus wondered who the hell the woman was talking to. The room appeared to be empty. But then a flash or dark mahogany hair began to show above a thin white blanket, followed by a dangerously thin and pale mockery of the Katherine he knew. Her blue eyes had dark circles around them, and when she smiled at him it reminded him of something from a macabre painting. "Professor Snape, how nice to see you. Yes nurse, he is looking well. Thank you."

The nurse, understandably surprised, just nodded and quietly left the room while shutting the door behind her.

For a long time Severus just stared at Katherine, and she merely smiled politely at him. He wondered how well she understood what was going on, what she remembered… But finally, he went and sat down in a chair next to her bed. "You are looking rather bedraggled Professor Tingstrom."

She laughed, a sight which was more than a little disturbing, and said, "Yes, I suppose I must be rather bedraggled. Thank you. After all I have… uhm… what do they say it is again?"

He blinked, "Post traumatic stress disorder."

She smiled and nodded, "Oh yes! A very polite way of saying that I've gone mad, don't you think?"

Severus couldn't help himself, he allowed himself to look at her sypathetically and took her hand gently.

She looked down at it sadly, "So… you've decided that you like me again?" When he went to open his mouth she stopped him. "No, please don't say anything… I don't want to hear it. I've had enough." She drew her hand back and then laid down again, turning away from him.

He stared at her a long time before finally sighing and leaving the room.

-------------------------------------------------

Severus went back the next day. The nurse let him in right away that time, and he walked in to find her looking up into her poor excuse for a hospital room window.

Katherine turned and gave him a look of sadness, "What do you want Severus?"

He frowned, "What the bloody hell does it look like I want? I've come to see you, you could at least have the decency to appreciate that."

She sniffed indignantly, in a way that would have been humorous under different circumstances, "I am not going to be told what I should and should not be grateful for Professor Snape. Furthermore, I have absolutely no idea why you would want to see me in the first place."

"Because the only person I can tolerate has lost her mind, damn it! She's sick and frail and it's the only thing I can think of to help her since I can't cure her mind with one of my potions!" He snapped, scowling.

She smiled at him for a moment, and then the smile became watery… then the next thing he knew she was sitting on the ground, sobbing, "I'm sorry!!!!!!"

To say that Severus was taken aback would have been an understatement. He'd never seen Katherine cry before... it was disturbing... He sat down next to her and allowed her to sob to her heart's content, before fading off into sniffles and little whimpers. When completely done, she looked up at him with a pained expression, "He killed them… I know he did."

Severus at her, "Pardon?"

She looked up at him with sad blue eyes, "William… my William… my older brother… They weren't… they weren't _kind_ to him. They didn't like that he was a Slytherin… I loved him, I loved him so much, and he loved me too… I didn't care, I really didn't, and he _knew_ that… but he shouldn't have done that… there were other ways, other ways to be free of them… my poor William… Uncle Albus would have helped if we'd have asked, I know he would… He made Uncle take me away from him because of it… Took me away from the only person… It's all wrong now." She grabbed a chunk of her hair and began combing through it, "I don't want things to be wrong anymore, but there's no way to fix them…"

Severus had no idea what she was blathering on about, but knew that whatever she was saying it was important, and so he listened carefully.

She sighed and then crawled onto her bed, going to sleep.

After a while he left, hearing vaguely as he shut the door what was most likely Katherine suffering from a nightmare.

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For the rest of the weekend, Severus visited her every day. He found out that the moments of seeming lucidity came and went. Most of the time she lived almost completely in her mind, sometimes staring into space and others with her knees clutched to her chest and rocking back and forth while mumbling. It was no wonder that the nurse had been so surprised at her reaction to him.

But there _were_ moments of lucidity. The nurse told him that she had never seen her so lucid, for such long periods of time, since she'd been admitted. Severus couldn't help but hope that it was because of him, foolish and selfish as it was, that somehow his presence was healing for her.

On Sunday though, Severus understood the full meaning of what was happening with Katherine.

Remus came into the mental ward and went to the desk, "I'm here to see Katherine Dumbledore, please." They had admitted her under her legal name. Severus wondered if Katherine would have been upset or pleased at that.

When the nurse pointed towards Katherine's room Remus started in surprise at seeing Severus. "Severus? What are you doing here?"

"I've come to study the after effects of dark magic and lost my way… I'm here to visit Professor Tingstrom, what does it look like I'm doing?!?" Severus snapped.

Remus frowned, "I don't know why you bothered. She won't see anyone, not even me…"

Severus smirked, "Don't be so sure about that…"

Remus just glared at him and went into the room. He went through the doorway and watched her for a moment as she gently rocked back and forth. But then she looked up and saw him, her eyes going wide with terror. "NO! Go away! Shit no! BLOODY HELL!!! GO AWAY!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!" She began throwing things at Lupin as she screamed, though there wasn't much in her room to speak of, and he ducked everything while remaining calm. Eventually she tired herself out and contented herself to lay in bed sobbing.

Remus then picked up the chair from where she'd thrown it and sat by her bed, taking her hand gently, "Hello Katherine. I see that you're glad to see me as always."

She didn't look up at him, or take her hand away, but merely lay there with her eyes downcast.

Remus smiled cheerfully, as if nothing was wrong, and began talking to her about his week. Some things were important, while most were insignificant.

After a while Katherine looked up at him, and watched him as if listening. When he was done she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, "Remus… my best friend…" Then she was gone again, laying back down and turning away from him.

Remus smiled at her with affection and pulled the covers over her shoulders, "I'll see you next week Katherine." With that he went to the doorway, and frowned when he saw that Severus had been there the entire time. When they were out of the room Remus frowned, "What are you playing at Severus? What do you want from her?"

Severus didn't answer, he only asked, "You come here every week? Even though she throws things at you and screams at the very sight of you?"

Remus seemed surprised by the question, but then slowly nodded and said, "Always. At first, all she did was have a fit until I left. Even after she was tired she would look at me as if she thought I would hurt her. But then she would finally stop fitting and let me stay in the room with her without getting upset, though couldn't touch her without her starting again. Now she has much shorter fits, and allows me to touch her. Sometimes she does that…" He smiled, "Sometimes she recognizes me, and is glad to see me. It lets me know that I'm helping her, at least a little."

Severus knew that he could bring up how she reacted to him. But, somehow, he knew that Katherine wouldn't approve of that. So just in case she ever became sane enough to nag at him once again, he merely nodded and said, "Possibly. Though somehow I doubt mental illness is cured by small talk."

Remus frowned, "You still haven't told me why you're here Severus."

"Because the Headmaster requested it of me, now let it be Lupin!" He said, walking past him and closing the door to Katherine's room behind him. He settled down into the chair next to her bed once again, watching her. Wondering if she'd ever be back to normal.


	23. Chapter 23

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, nor am I making any money off of this story. However I will try to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Review Please! It helps me know how I'm doing and I always take your reviews into serious consideration.

"_Happy thoughts Katherine… Happy thoughts… you're in your happy place… happy place." She rocked back and forth, arms around her legs, and couldn't stop being afraid. There had been so much blood… so much blood… she'd never seen so much blood. And… and her mother's hand… she'd seen it. She'd SEEN it! _

_But Uncle Albus had taken her away. Taken her away and shut her in this closet. There were sounds… horrible, horrible sounds from outside. Why wasn't anyone coming to help her? Why was she alone? Someone was going to come and hurt her, she just knew it! Why had they left her all alone and defenseless? She couldn't help herself from a closet! Why…_

A voice broke through. She knew that voice… she liked that voice.

A warm hand took her hand inside it and brushed lazy circles against the back of her hand. She liked that, liked being touched. Nobody touched her anymore except in sympathy or trying to calm her down when she didn't want to be calm. Nobody touched her in true comfort; nobody touched her just to be near her, nobody except…

She smiled up at Remus. He always was so warm and safe. She liked it when Remus came to see her. But he always came when she was so tired… so tired… why didn't he come when she felt more herself?

All she could do was watch him; as she usually did, and listened to him speak to her as if nothing had changed. As if she was still Katherine and he was still her Remus. But finally she couldn't help herself, she reached up and hugged him saying, "Remus… my best friend…" She saw him smile at her and it made her feel warm all over. But she was tired… so tired… she hoped he didn't mind but she couldn't stay awake anymore.

She felt him tuck her in and say, "I'll see you next week Katherine."

"No… no don't go. Don't leave me all alone, please…" But she couldn't say this. She was so tired…

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Severus came back the next Saturday and walked into Katherine's room. He expected the normal reaction of her becoming lucid and greeting him. But instead, he was greeted by a wide eyed Katherine who was slowly backing up towards the wall. "Go away! Go away! NO!!! NO! NO!!!!!!! HELP ME!!!" She began to throw things at him.

"BLOODY HELL WOMAN!!!" Severus screamed. "What do you think you're doing? It's me damn it! It's Snape!"

She stopped mid-throw and squinted her eyes, "Severus?"

Its then that Severus noticed something. Katherine usually wore glasses, always. But now, she was bare eyed.

Katherine couldn't see without her glasses.

Katherine couldn't see without her glasses, and so… and so since her mind was already befuddled with madness… maybe that was why she never recognized Remus or any other of her guests when they came to see her. They just barged in after a week or longer of not seeing her, which must seem a great deal longer to her, and so she didn't recognize them anymore.

He walked up to her, slowly. "Katherine, could you see me by the door?"

She blinked at him and then slowly shook her head, "I saw… I saw somebody."

He gently took the tissue box from her hand. "Can you see people at the doorway? Clearly, I mean."

She shook her head.

Severus wasn't sure whether to rejoice at this new bit of information, or to be saddened by it. "Do you always know when you have company? When the nurses come, and Remus comes…"

She smiled, "I like it when Remus comes…"

He looked at her, "So… when we talk to each other like we have… you could have done it with others."

She frowned slightly, "They always come when I'm tired… And I don't like the nurses, they think I'm mad."

Severus couldn't stop the small smirk from forming on his face, "Silly creatures."

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Later that day he insisted that they give Katherine her spectacles, waving off their concerns that she could hurt herself or others with them. "It will be fine, I assure you. You may even see some improvement in her condition because of it."

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The next day when Remus came, he braced himself for the usual fit.

Katherine turned around when she heard the door open, instinctively grabbing something to protect herself with. But when she saw Remus at the door, instead of a frightened look, she smiled brightly. "Remus!" She ran up to him and hugged him around his waist.

To say that Remus was surprised would be an understatement. But after a moment he wrapped his arms around her and smiled, "Katherine… you recognize me?"

She sniffed and smiled up at him, "Of course I do silly." She nuzzled her face into his chest. "I miss you. It's so lonely here without you around."

He rested his cheek against her hair, "I miss you too… I suppose I'll just have to come by more often then, won't I?"

She beamed up at him, "Could you Remus? Please?"

He brushed some hair out of her face, "Of course, I'd like nothing better."

She nuzzled into his chest and sighed happily.

After a while he led her to her bed and gently helped her down before sitting in the chair next to her bed. As soon as he was seated she reached out for his hand, which he happily offered to her. She smiled and played with his fingers as she whispered, "Talk to me."

And he did. He told her about his week, making sure to add in any information he could about Neville and Luna (just as he always did), because he knew it would please her. Eventually he ran out of things to say though, and was left merely looking at her.

She stopped the exploration of his hand and looked up at him curiously, "What?"

"Has Professor Snape been visiting you?" He asked quietly.

She nodded, "Yes… but you know him. He's not really one for talking and he still screams at me… and I just… I just…" Remus could see her fading away again, "I don't want to scream anymore Remus. I'm so tired… so tired…"

He took her cheek into his hand, "Stay with me Katherine. Its ok Katherine, it's ok."

She shook her head, "He said… he said that he visits me because the only person that he… that he can tolerate has gone mad." She began rocking, just a little. "I think… I think he's lying though… He… he doesn't… he doesn't trust me. He… he doesn't… he thinks I'm a bad person Remus. I'm not a bad person, I'm not!"

Remus sat down next to her and wrapped her in his arms, gently rubbing her back as he said, "Of course you're not. You're not a bad person Katherine…"

She sniffed and said, "I'm tired of taking his stupid tests Remus…"

He tried to comfort her, but was thoroughly confused. Tests? What tests? "Katherine, what tests?"

Remus looked down and saw that Katherine had fallen asleep, hands clutching at his robes.

He smiled and laid her down gently on the bed, pulling the covers over her shoulders and kissing her on the forehead. "Goodnight Katherine. I'll see you soon."

She smiled softly in her sleep, and it warmed Remus' heart.


	24. Chapter 24

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world, or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit from this story. However, I will try to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Review Please! It lets me know how I'm doing and I always take your comments into serious consideration.

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"Come on Katherine, you LIKE grapes." Remus urged, gently sliding the bowl of fruit towards Katherine. She was still not eating, and he was afraid that he might lose her to starvation before he could even hope to help her mind heal.

She just looked down at it sadly, saying, "No thank you Remus. I'm not really hungry."

He sighed and looked up at her with his best puppy dog look, "Please? For me? Just a few grapes, that's all I'm asking."

She smiled just a little, and then looked down at the fruit. She frowned a little, but then sighed and said, "Alright… I'll take a few grapes, since you want me to so badly." She picked off a few grapes and slowly nibbled at them.

Remus grinned and said, "Great! And what about this? Its Munster cheese, your favorite."

She shook her head.

"Just a piece? Just a little bit of cheese, then we can have some tea like we used to. Won't that be nice?"

Katherine was quiet for a long time, and then finally picked up a slice of cheese and ate it. Then she looked up at Remus and said, "No more food. Seriously, I'm not that hungry."

He smiled and nodded, "Alright. But the tea?"

She nodded, "Ok…"

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"What happened to William?" Severus asked Albus, not able to stopper his curiosity any longer.

Albus looked up from his work and sighed, "You would know better than I, Severus. After all, you were his mentor for years."

Severus blinked, "What are you talking about?"

"William Danvers, an early recruit." Albus said tiredly.

Severus stiffened up instantly. William _Danvers_ was related to _Katherine_? He had enough trouble comprehending that the two were the same _species_, let alone _related_. William was one of the most nasty, coldhearted, sadistic bastards he'd ever come across… and from him that was saying something! William became a death eater not because he hated muggles; he became a death eater because he hated _everyone_. He relished in the violence that was associated with being a death eater, and the only time he'd ever heard anything even remotely fond come from his lips were his near incestuous comments about… his… sister. His sister; whom he had planned to turn into a death eater as well. "William Danvers…"

Albus nodded, "I had hoped… I had hoped that what I'd been hearing about him was a lie. He always seemed like such a nice boy… truly loved his sister…"

"Oh, he _loved_ his sister alright! And _nice_! If he was ever _nice_ it was because it was a means to an end, not from any genuine _feeling_. The man is a bastard! How could you have ever been so naïve as to believe…?"

Albus stood up, "That's enough! Not that it's any of your concern, but I happened to _love_ my nephew! And I knew that he'd had a very rough time of it, both Katherine and him, since their parents treated them more like pets than actual children! I tried to get the children away from them several times, but of course no court would take them away from their parents to give them to their 'senile old uncle'." He sighed and sat down in his chair again, "I just thought a little understanding was in order… next thing I know, he'd murdered his parents and there was talk about him coming after Katherine… I just wanted to protect her… to protect them both…"

Severus felt conflicted, to be quite honest. Part of him felt sorry for the Headmaster, his heart had been in the right place as always. But then again… "You can't protect children from their lives, Albus. Katherine would have been able to understand in time what had happened to her, and would have been careful of her brother, if only you'd allowed her to do so. She didn't need your sudden, overzealous protection. What she needed was to feel safe, and now she may never have that again."

Albus looked up at Severus with a hurt expression, "What do you expect me to do?"

Severus scowled, "I don't expect you to do anything Albus. Your relationship with your niece is your own damned business, and I believe I've helped you enough with her. You want forgiveness? Fine, then ask _her_ for it. There is nothing I can do for you in that respect."

Albus nodded, "You're probably right Severus…"

Severus nodded and then turned around, leaving the room.

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Katherine was rocking back and forth on her bed when Severus came in to see her the next Friday. He'd heard that Remus came to see her nearly every day now, always trying to get her to eat, always comforting her and talking to her, always keeping her lucid for even longer than Severus had apparently been able to…

He sat down on the chair next to her bed and just watched her. Unlike Remus apparently, he had no interest in speaking to her while she was out of her mind. He saw absolutely no point to it.

Finally, Katherine stopped rocking and fixed him with a glare, "Professor Snape, if there is no point to your visit then you might as well leave. Your lurking and staring is becoming quite irritating."

Severus blinked, surprised.

She smirked, unhappily, "You think that just because I'm not completely there that I don't notice what's going on around me? I notice. It may take a little while, but I notice. And, quite frankly, I'm still rather surprised that you're even here. You wouldn't even speak to me before I lost my mind, what the bloody hell changed? And don't give me that bullshit about me being the only person you tolerate, I know for a fact that doesn't necessarily warrant your company. Did my uncle put you up to this or something? Did you feel obligated to come and see me because I asked about you? To tell the truth, I don't even remember doing so. I was probably out of my mind at the time, but of course since I finally uttered a coherent sentence the damned nurses would take it to heart." Katherine wiped at a stray tear falling from her eyes, "And I would have asked for you Severus… if I'd thought that you'd ever come to me. But you couldn't be bothered with me before all this happened, and so I had no reason to believe you'd bother to come see me afterwards."

She looked up at him angrily then, "I don't want you here Severus. If you're not coming here just because you want to be near me, then I don't want to see you. It makes me feel even more lost… even more alone… I don't want to see the man I was falling in love with look at me like I'm some pathetic excuse for a human being. Why are you even here? I know that you talked the nurses into giving me my glasses back, and for that I thank you. But, that seems to be all that you've contributed other than your presence. Is it possible that you think your mere presence will help me feel human again? I can tell you right now, being here isn't going to help if you're not actually here for me."

With that she lay down, covered herself completely with her blanket, and rolled towards the wall, "Just go away Severus…"

Severus sat there for a moment, then got up and walked out of the room. She didn't want him there, fine. He had better things to do then keep company with a mad woman.


	25. Chapter 25

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any money off of this story. However I will do my best to portray them accurately.

Please, please review! I haven't been getting many reviews lately and I'd really like to know how you are feeling about how the story is going.

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Severus was not looking forward to giving Lupin the wolfsbane potion this month. In fact, he believed he'd rather attempt a civil conversation with the Potter brat than be forced to spend those few minutes alone with the werewolf. Apart from his normal dislike of the man, the last thing he needed was Lupin chiding him about his apparently horrid treatment of Tingstrom (as he was certain he would be).

However, he knew the Headmaster would make his life even more miserable than it already was if he refused to give Lupin the potion. And besides… he didn't care. He was sick of putting up with that petulant child anyway, and was glad that she'd sent him away. It would be a cold day in the underworld before he'd willingly step foot anywhere near that madwoman's vicinity again. If that meant he'd have to put up with that idiot's chiding for a few minutes, well then he would just have to bear it.

As he was putting in the last ingredients for the wolfsbane when someone knocked on his door saying, "Professor Snape, may I come in?"

"If you must Draco," He said dryly.

Draco walked in and his eyes were immediately drawn to the caldron, "What's that?"

Severus narrowed his eyes, "That is none of your concern Draco."

"But…"

"If the only reason you wanted to speak with me was to invade my privacy, you can leave my quarters right now Draco."

Draco pouted and looked at the ingredients Severus was chopping for a moment before asking, "Is it true that Professor Tingstrom went crazy and won't be coming back?"

The look that Severus gave him spoke volumes.

Draco sighed and said, "Well, that's what Blaise said. It's too bad really… she was ok… for a Gryffindor."

Severus was quiet for a long time before saying, "I suppose she was."

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Remus had packed his things and left Hogwarts. He'd had no choice after the Slytherins had found out about his "furry little problem" and made sure to tell everyone else. It was just another blow in a long line of problems that he'd had because of his condition, but this one seemed to hurt the worst. Working at Hogwarts had been the best position he'd ever held, and he'd truly wanted to keep it. Although he knew that she had enough problems of her own, there was just one person he wanted to see.

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As soon as Katherine saw Remus she knew that something was horribly wrong. She jumped out of bed and wrapped her arms around him, and he returned the embrace immediately. "What's happened?" She asked against his chest.

He just nuzzled her hair and said, "A bad day… just a truly bad day."

She looked up at him skeptically, "What happened Remus?" She cupped his cheek and looked into his eyes, "You can tell me."

He sighed deeply and said, "Can I at least sit down first?"

She nodded and took his hand, leading him to the bed where they sat down and then continued their embrace.

Katherine rested her cheek on Remus' shoulder as he collected his thoughts.

He finally gave a long suffering sigh and said, "The Slytherins found out about my condition, and of course told everyone in Hogwarts as well as their parents. So I decided to resign before Albus was forced to fire me."

In the back of her mind, Katherine found this news very familiar, although she couldn't place it. "What are you going to do now?"

He shook his head, "I don't know…"

Katherine suddenly realized that this might mean that Remus had to leave, and her heart clenched painfully. She didn't know what she would do if she couldn't see Remus anymore, he was such a large part of her life… There had been times when they'd been separated, certainly, but she'd always known that she'd see him again. She had never lied when she'd told him that she would miss him when he was away… He'd been the largest part of her making it through her first times at Hogwarts, and any real improvement she'd been making lately had been due to the fact that Remus stood by her this entire time. Thinking that she might not see him again, never talk with him again, never laugh, never hold him again… it just… she didn't think she could do it. She looked up at him sadly and asked, "You won't be leaving… will you?"

He looked at her, surprised, "Of course not. I plan on doing everything I can to stay nearby." As if reading her thoughts, he cupped her cheek and whispered, "I'm not going to leave you Katherine, not ever. So you needn't worry about it."

She nuzzled into him and said, "Good… I don't know what I'd do without you…"

He cupped her cheek and smiled down at her, surprised that he could produce a genuine smile at the moment, "You won't have to find out. There is no way I'd ever willingly not see you again."

She smiled at him.

He leaned over, and for a moment she thought he might kiss her…

He did.

He laid a gentle kiss on her forehead, one that warmed her completely, before holding her tight and sighing. "Although I'll admit, it's going to be a bugger of an operation trying to find a new job after this."

She snuggled into his chest, "I'd help you if I could…"

He gave her a gentle squeeze, "The best thing you can do for me is get well."

"Okay…" She said, sighing.

He chuckled slightly and began to run his fingers gently through her hair as she listened to his heartbeat.

Eventually they fell asleep, still holding onto one another.

The nurses were all stunned that they didn't hear Katherine have a single nightmare that night.

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Months passed and Katherine got a little bit better, a little bit healthier, every day. By the end of summer she was usually lucid and could actually be taken outside as long as Remus was with her. Remus had split his time up between looking for a job and spending time with Katherine, living with Sirius in between.

Finally, though, the nurses said that Katherine could go home if there was someone to watch her and make sure she didn't hurt herself.

Remus of course would have been happy to have Katherine come home with him, but knew that although she was better… there was no way in hell she'd be able to live with Sirius as well without there being serious repercussions. So, Remus went to Albus to try and find a solution.

Albus listened carefully, and then smiled, "I believe I know who could watch Katherine without much trouble. In fact, I'm sure she'd be happy to do it… and she might be just what Katherine needs right now."

Remus looked at him suspiciously, "Who is that?"

"My sister, Amory. Katherine's grandmother."


	26. Chapter 26

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this story. However, I will try to portray them to the best of my abilities. (P.S. I don't own Rogers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella" either)

Please, please review! I have no idea how you feel about where the story is going unless you do, even if it's not all complimentary I appreciate your feedback.

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"Granny Amory? Is he _mad_? Granny Amory… Granny Amory makes my Uncle Albus look like a stuffy, completely rational human being. When they were passing out the sanity she was arguing about how she didn't want them to give her too much color sense! Who will be watching whom in this arrangement?" Katherine said, looking horrified as Remus told her.

Remus was, of course, sympathetic to her plight. However, it was the only way they could get her out of this completely unsuitable environment and home, where she'd be more comfortable. He had wanted to tell her who she was going home to right away, but her Uncle insisted on being told as late as possible. He now knew why, the git. "It shouldn't be so bad, Katherine. He says that she is happy to come and help, that she knows about your condition and will…"

"My Uncle can go have himself stuffed!" She snapped, "I would _think_ that by now you would have realized that my uncle does _not_ understand what is best for me by any _stretch_ of the imagination!"

He sighed, giving her a pleading look, "Katherine…"

To both of their complete surprise, that stopped Katherine in her tracks. Remus had _never_ used that tone with her, and every fiber of her being screamed, "Ok, that's enough!" So she blushed and said, "Sorry…"

Remus gave a small smile and took her hand, rubbing it softly, "It will be alright. She's just there to keep you company and make sure you don't get into any trouble. Possibly run errands… that's all. I'm sure that this arrangement won't last very long. Just be patient for now, alright? Who knows, maybe this will be a good thing."

Katherine gave a small nod, though she still looked skeptical.

He drew her into his arms and held her close, saying, "I'll come visit you as often as I can, I'm not going to make you go through any of this alone."

She nuzzled into him, "I know… I know you wouldn't leave me alone."

He shook his head, "Never…"

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"Oh! Mon petite amore! My sweet little poppet, it's been so _long_!!!!!!!!!!" The tall, lanky woman with blue hair and wearing an audacious kimono squealed as she wrapped Katherine in a too-tight hug.

"Granny… Amory I… can't… breathe…" Katherine gasped out.

"Oh, so sorry sweetheart!" Amory gasped, "But _look_ at you! How many times have I told you that you need to _eat_ more?!?! You know what they call a woman with no curves? A _boy_! Come along now!"

Katherine wasn't sure how to feel about a 90 something year old woman being able to pull her around so easily, but decided it was best not to think about it.

Granny Amory pulled Katherine into the kitchen and sat her down at the table before going off on a tangent about how the French and Italians really knew how to cook and England could bloody well learn a thing or two and blah blah blah blah BLAH!!!!!!

"_Granny, don't go! I don't want you to leave me all alone! PLEASE!!!!!!!" Katherine wailed as she clung to Amory's leg._

_Her grandmother looked sympathetic, and was about to say something when her father came and began to pry Katherine off, "Don't worry about it Mum, she can be a bit overdramatic at times."_

_Amory gave her son a severe look, "I'd prefer her to stay that way." She stopped him from trying to pry Katherine off of her and looked down at the distraught child, "Now dear, you know I can't stay. I have things to do in Paris, but I'll be back soon… I promise."_

"_But what if something bad happens and you're not here? There's nobody that'll look after me with you and William gone!" Katherine asked, wide eyed and seeming to have genuine concerns._

_Amory shook her head, "But mon petite amore, that's not true! You have your parents to look after you!"_

_Katherine looked down and hugged Amory again, "I don't have anybody."_

As Katherine thought about the last time she'd seen her grandmother, she became increasingly furious. The damned woman always insisted that she adored her granddaughter and yet barely could be bothered to see her. She was always off being a free spirit… and now she was supposed to take _care_ of Katherine? This wasn't going to work. It wasn't going to work at all.

Amory turned around and then stopped dead in her tracks, giving her a sad smile, "Don't look at me like that, Katherine."

Katherine raised an eyebrow, "Like what?"

Remus finally came in after taking in Amory's bags, and sat down next to Katherine.

Amory shook her head, "Like you blame me for every bad thing in the universe, including dog shit."

Katherine pretended to think about it for a moment, and then said, "I don't blame you for dog shit."

Amory sighed and said, "Why, oh WHY did you have to take after me?"

Katherine stiffened up, "I don't bloody take after you! We couldn't be more different if we set out on it deliberately!"

Her grandmother shook her head, "Oh, but we are alike Katherine. Or have you forgotten."

Katherine narrowed her eyes, "I haven't forgotten anything, I promise."

Amory sighed, "Still as petty as ever…"

"If _one_ more person calls me petty!" Katherine growled, standing up and stomping out of the room.

Remus sighed and said, "You couldn't just indulge her… you just _had_ to insult her on her first day out of the mental ward. What kind of family _is_ this?"

Amory stiffened up, "The kind of family that survives."

Remus shook his head, "No… from what I've seen, this is a family that self-distructs." He went to the doorway to where Katherine had gone and said, "I promise you… I won't let her become part of that." Then he walked out to find Katherine.

As he left, a slow smile crept onto Amory's face, "Good choice my dear…"

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"_Impossible!" Katherine sang happily. _

"_For a plain yellow pumpkin to become a golden carriage." Amory sang sweetly. _

"_Impossible! _

"_For a plain country bumpkin and a prince to join in marriage." _

"_And four white mice will never be four white horses." _

"_Such fol-de-rol and fiddle dee dee of courses. Impossible!" They sang together. _

"_But the world is full of zanies and fools…" Amory sang, tickling Katherine slightly. _

_Katherine laughed then sang, "Who don't believe in sensible rules. And won't believe what sensible people say.."_

_Amory nodded then sang, "And because these daft and dewey eyed dopes _

_keep building up impossible hopes, impossible things are happening every day…" _

_Katherine and Amory both clapped for each other, making Katherine laugh. Then she looked up at her grandmother and asked, "Granny Amory… why can't we let muggle people know about us?"_

_Amory shrugged, "The wizarding world believes that it would be too much strain on them to know."_

_Katherine frowned, "That's rather stupid…"_

_Amory nodded, "True… but we must do what we must do."_

_Katherine sighed and said, "It's too bad…" She jumped up on the nearby tree stump and balanced herself on one foot, "Because I'd really like to be someone's fairy godmother."_

_Amory grinned, "I believe you'd make a marvelous fairy godmother."_

_Katherine absolutely beamed, "You really think so?"_

_Amory laughed, "I KNOW so! Any girl can become a princess, but it takes someone made of special stuff to become a fairy godmother." She nodded in approval._

_Katherine laughed and jumped off the stump to hug her grandmother around the neck, "I love you Granny Amory!"_

_Her grandmother hugged her back, "I love you too poppet…"_

Katherine was jolted out of her memories by a pair of warm, familiar arms wrapping around her waist.

She sighed appreciatively and relaxed against Remus, "Why do I keep doing this to myself?"

"Doing what?" He asked against her hair.

"Being so damn…"

"Human?" He asked, and she could hear the slight smile in his voice.

She groaned and turned around in his arms, nuzzling into his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. "I get so upset, and prove to everyone that I'm petty… am I petty?"

He kissed her forehead, "Just a little."

She looked up at him sadly, "How do you put up with me?"

He smiled at her, "It's part of your charm. I learned long ago that one has to take the whole person, not just the things that they like. Otherwise, the person wouldn't be the same person."

"So… you like me as a whole?" She asked hopefully.

He gave her a crooked little smile, "I thought that much was obvious, Katherine."

She sighed and rested her forehead on his shoulder, "That woman is going to drive me crazy."

He smoothed her hair, "I'm sure it will be mutual."

Katherine groaned against his cardigan and pleaded, "Will you at least stay for dinner?"

He laughed, "Of course!"

She shook her head, "I just hope she doesn't decide to make sheep's brains again…"


	27. Chapter 27

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this story. However, I will try to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please review! I have no idea how you feel about where the story is going unless you do, even if it's not all complimentary I appreciate your feedback.

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Katherine paled, "I'm not wearing those."

"You have to wear something, and these are the only female clothes we have around other than mine. They were your mother's; I don't see what the problem is." Amory said while holding up what was once Katherine's mother's favorite dress. Katherine remembered the soft blue dress well; she could practically smell her mother's perfume on it.

Katherine gritted her teeth and said, "I just told you, I'm not wearing those. What part of it didn't you understand?"

"I'm trying to understand your reasoning. Most daughters would be happy to wear their mother's clothes, to relish their mother's memory." Amory said, narrowing her eyes.

Katherine grabbed the dress and yelled, "I said, NO!" She turned and threw the dress into a nearby fireplace, watching it burn. Then she turned to Amory, fists clenched. "Damn my mother's memory, and damn you!"

Amory blinked, looking hurt, "Why must you be so hateful Katherine? I don't remember you ever…"

"The last time you saw me I was eight years old! I'm twenty two now! What the fuck did you think was going to happen? That I would never grow up? Never change from the child I was? Look around you Grandmother! Everything's covered in dust and filled with holes! This is a cursed house! Everything this family touches is cursed! We've all got our heads buried too far up our asses to ever do anything that isn't completely fucked up! Uncle Albus is too worried about the greater good to see what little good he's doing for the people he cares about. You're too obsessed with _freedom_ and _adventure_ to notice the things that really matter. My mother and father were so self centered that they treated their children like pets, and couldn't see what horrible things they were causing until it was too late. My brother was so obsessed with his own pain and wants that he had no trouble killing his own parents!" Amory flinched as if stung. Katherine walked up to her and said in a pinched voice, "And me… I'm a stubborn, petulant brat of a girl who is completely lost. Probably ruined." She lifted a hand to her eyes to swipe away a tear and then growled, "So you can take your memories and my parent's things… you can take all of it and go back to hell where you came from." With that she turned and started towards the door.

Amory huffed, "Well, that wasn't the least bit overdramatic."

Katherine laughed mirthlessly, then said, "Oh yes, I can be quite overdramatic, can't I? I wonder where the hell I get it from!" With that she stormed out of the room, not waiting for an answer.

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"Ah, Severus! Just the man I wanted to see!" Albus said, coming up to Severus from behind.

Severus cringed, this couldn't be anything good. "What is it that you need Headmaster?"

"I would very much like it if you would escort my sister and my niece to Hogwarts for the games. They have yet to be out of the house since Katherine got out of St. Mungo's and I believe it would be good for them." Albus said in a friendly manner, eyes twinkling.

Severus clenched his fists, "I would think that task better suited to someone else, Headmaster. Seeing as how your lovely niece felt the urge to discharge me from her presence the last time I saw her."

Albus waved his hand in the air flippantly, "Oh, she gets that way sometimes. No need to worry about it Severus. So, shall we say an hour before the games start?"

Severus narrowed his eyes but said, "Alright." With that, he turned around and continued on his destination back to his dungeons. Thinking, with no small amount of bitterness, that it was no wonder that the woman had gone insane with Albus as her relative. Rather genetically determined actually…

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"If you won't wear your mother's things, or my things, this is the only thing to do. I can't have you mucking about in dirty clothes all the time, and I certainly won't be doing your laundry every day. So we're shopping, get over it." Amory said, looking at her Granddaughter disapprovingly.

Katherine looked around wildly, clutching her cape close to her. If it was the last thing she did, she would poison that old… witch for this! "I hate you!"

Amory huffed, "Duly noted. Now come along."

Katherine stood close to her grandmother as they walked through Diagon Alley until she remembered something. "Isn't this close to London?"

"What do you mean is this close to London? This IS London!"

"I mean… oh, never mind." Katherine ran off to find the place where she could get to muggle London. She found a sign that said, "Doorway to Muggle London" and smiled, going to the passageway.

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Katherine quickly exchanged her money for pounds and then went into muggle London. She'd realized that she wouldn't mind being around normal people, it was being surrounded by strange witches and wizards who could do awful things to her with the flick of a wand that made her extremely nervous. So she made her way downtown and after a bit of searching found a clothing store.

By the time Amory found her, Katherine was buying a good number of jumpers, blouses, jackets, and jeans. As well as a few pairs of boots and sneakers, not to mention the… well… unmentionables.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Amory screamed.

Katherine raised her eyebrows and said, "I'm buying clothes. _Normal_ clothes, or at least normal for me. I'm no longer a teacher at Hogwarts so there is absolutely no reason I should be forced to wear layer upon layer of feminine fabric against my will. I like wearing trousers and jumpers, if you don't like it then you can just keep your opinions to yourself. You don't hear me going on about the monstrosities that you wear." With that, she finished paying, thanked the clerk with a warm smile, and was off out of the shop.

"That's not the point! You could have been hurt! I'm supposed to be watching out for you!"

Katherine turned and gave Amory a stern look, "You've never looked out for a single person other than yourself once in your entire life. I see no reason for you to start now. What? Did you think that forcing me out in public and making me wear my mother's clothes was going to heal me? My mother treated me like dirt, and I don't like being in public it makes me feel… vulnerable. At least around muggles I feel comfortable, I grew up around muggles and I know what they're capable of. I don't like our fucked up little universe, and although I'm willing to live in it regardless I'd rather not be forced to do everything there when there's no reason for it."

The people on the sidewalk passed by them, not noticing the conversation.

Amory just looked at her for a long time, and then eventually smiled, "You've really turned into the spirited young woman, Katherine my dear."

Katherine smirked, "Is that a nice way of saying I'm overzealous and opinionated?"

Amory chuckled, "Pretty much. Tea?"

"Oh, yes please. In fact… how about a pub? I'll buy."

"You'd better; I doubt these people take galleons."

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"Katherine?" Remus asked, surprised. He didn't know what he'd been expecting to see when he came back to see Katherine after being forced to spend a week away on an errand for Albus. Probably something alone the lines of Katherine in torn clothes, hair a mess, circles under her eyes that were darker than they usually were (she always had dark circles under her eyes these days due to her nightmares), and her begging him to be taken away from this hell. He definitely hadn't expected to see her having gained possibly seven pounds, wearing slender blue jeans and a white blouse that made her slight figure look elegant again, clean hair pulled up into a clip, and other than the usual looking no worse for the wear.

That wasn't to say that once he got her attention Katherine didn't leap at him and hug him tightly saying, "Don't. Ever. Leave. For. That. Long. Again!"

He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her as he said, "Not if I can help it. You don't seem to be that badly off though."

Katherine huffed, "My grandmother and I have come to an… understanding of sorts. I let her shovel food down my throat, and drink the blasted dreamless sleep drought (which doesn't work all that well by the way); and in return she lets me act like a human being. Though, you'll never believe this, at first she tried to get me to wear my mother's clothes! And when I said no she took me out in _public_! Of course, I didn't want to _be_ in public, so I went to muggle London public instead and got some new clothes. That's what I'm wearing, do you like them?"

He chuckled and said, "Quite fetching." He smiled warmly at her, "Then again, you always look fetching to me."

Katherine's pale skin changed to resemble that of a strawberry as she stuttered, "What's that?" Pointing to the covered dome Remus had set down next to him.

He chuckled and shook his head, used to her dodging the subject whenever he hinted at feelings that were a less than platonic. He lifted up the parcel and uncovered it to reveal C.B. in all his healthy, cranky glory.

Katherine gasped and grinned, "C.B.!"

C.B. hooted happily when he caught sight of his mistress. Remus opened the door to his cage and C.B. immediately flew out and landed on Katherine's head.

Katherine grinned and lifted her hand up to scratch the miniature owl's belly, "Oh, my little munchkin! I've missed you!" She looked at Remus, in awe. "How did you find him?"

He shrugged, "He's been in the owlery. I knew that you couldn't take care of him while you were in the hospital so… I did."

She looked at him in wonderment, "You… you took care of C.B. for me?"

He smiled, "Of course. I'd… well… of course. It wasn't easy at first, but I didn't want you to be forced to lose anything else that you loved."

Katherine looked at him with barely suppressed tears before leaping at him for another hug, which truly disturbed C.B. and made him give an indignant hoot, saying, "Oh, thank you! Uncle Albus had the nurses tell me that C.B. was being taken care of, but I didn't know it was by you! Oh Remus…" She nuzzled into his chest.

He rested his cheek against her head, closing his eyes and saying, "You're welcome."

She looked up into his golden eyes, her blue ones showing conflicting emotions.

He just smiled and cupped her cheek, "Everything is going to be alright Katherine. We're looking after one another, right?"

She smiled and nodded her head, resting her cheek against his chest once again and sighing contentedly.

Just then they heard a cough, and lifted their heads to see none other than Severus Snape with a very hard glare on his face. "Pardon my intrusion, but the Headmaster has insisted that I bring his sister and great niece to the tournament. Bring the werewolf if you must." With that, he turned and started back towards the manor.

Remus raised his eyebrows, "Well… he seems to be in an especially sour mood today."

Katherine frowned, "Must be the mixture of fresh air and forced company." She looked up at him, "Are you coming?"

He smiled down at her, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."


	28. Chapter 28

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this story. However, I will try to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please review! I have no idea how you feel about where the story is going unless you do, even if it's not all complimentary I appreciate your feedback.

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Severus, Katherine, Remus, and Amory flooed into Albus' office once everyone had been collected together in the sitting room. When Albus saw them come into their office he smiled and immediately went to them. "Ah, Severus, I see you've gotten them here safe and sound. Why Amory, how nice to see you!" Amory and Albus embraced one another and talked for a few moments in an exclusive tone that nobody else in the room could or wanted to hear. Then he turned to Remus and said, "Why, Remus, my boy! What are you doing here? I suppose because Katherine and yourself are inseparable as usual, I suspect."

Remus nodded awkwardly. It hadn't escaped him that Albus had skipped over Katherine completely.

Katherine narrowed her eyes; it hadn't escaped her notice either.

When Albus finally got to Katherine he smiled and said, "Well, Katherine, you're looking much better my dear."

Katherine raised an eyebrow, "How nice of you to finally notice, Uncle."

He looked a bit saddened by her comment, "Katherine, I was only looking out for your best interests. I knew you were angry with me and I didn't want to upset you further…"

"So you just left me to the care of others, as usual. Don't worry, Albus, it's nothing less than I've grown to expect from you. When is the competition starting?" Katherine said snippily.

"Within the hour," Snape said, smirking.

"Well then, we'd best be getting down there then." Katherine said, leaving without another word.

Remus sighed and said, "I'll talk to her Albus, don't worry."

Albus nodded, "Alright, Remus, I won't. I know you'll help make things right."

After watching Remus leave Severus stood next to Albus and said, "She's right, you know. When it comes to your niece there is always someone else that you pawn her off to, rather than dealing with her yourself."

Albus looked injured, "Severus, you know well enough that I love my niece…"

"Which is not the same as caring for her. It comes as quite the surprise to me, considering you seem to have been there for me much more than you have for her; and although I do understand I'm more useful to your purposes than she is, I can assure you that I am not the one who will be carrying on your memory after you pass on." Severus gave him a steady look.

Albus sighed, "Perhaps you're right, Severus. I should go talk to her…"

Severus snorted, "You should go be her Uncle. She deserves nothing less." With that, Severus left, more than a little disgusted.

Albus looked at the place where the children had left and tried to figure out where he'd gone so very wrong.

Amory placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "It's nothing precisely that you've done wrong, Albus. You've been doing your best to serve the greater good, and nobody faults you for that… nobody can be everything to everyone. Don't fret yourself about it."

"Is that what you keep telling yourself, every time you look at her?" Albus asked.

"Precisely so…" Amory sighed.

"I doubt Katherine will ever forgive either of us, unfortunately."

"True… she's always been such a petty, vindictive little thing."

"Quite. Though good hearted…"

"Always; always good hearted. Maybe with time she will understand…"

"Hopefully."

"Though, I must admit, I have much less excuse for my actions than you do. I wanted to see the world after my husband died, and I couldn't be bothered with my family anymore. I figured that they were grown and so there was no reason why I should stick around to coddle them… I never realized that even as adults they might need me still, that their children would need me so." Amory said, sadly.

Albus looked at Amory and sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I suppose we both must do the best we can with what little time we have left. Hopefully, when we're gone, we will be remembered for our goodness more than our faults. That is all anyone can hope for."

Amory chuckled, "Don't attempt to play wise sage with me, Albus. I remember when you ran around naked in the yard yelling that you were the King of England."

Albus gently pulled her hair.

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When Katherine went into the arena area, her blood went cold. "Why don't I like the sight of this… at all?"

"This is the dragon challenge," Remus said stiffly.

"Dragon…"

"Large, fire breathing…"

"Bloody hell…" Katherine said.

Their hands reached out for one another at the same time, entwining and fitting together perfectly. Remus gave Katherine's hand a squeeze, it felt like home.

Yet it did nothing to stop the growing apprehension that both were feeling. Katherine couldn't help but feel as if she'd seen this before… but it was so fuzzy… "Who is in this tournament?"

"Viktor Krum, Fleur Decanter, Cedric Diggory and…"

"Harry Potter," Katherine said lowly.

"Yes, I thought you didn't," She points to the stage and Remus looks, "Oh… Yes, Harry was an… unexpected contestant."

They watched in stony silence as the game began. Harry looked so young and helpless out there amongst those rocks, it almost hurt Katherine to watch. When the dragon came out she nearly jumped out of her seat as she clutched Remus' hand tightly.

Remus didn't mind, or notice, since he was silently clutching her as well. "Come on Harry…"

It all happened so fast. One moment Harry was running from the vicious dragon, the next he was on his broom and grabbing the golden egg while flying out of harm's reach.

Amongst the cheering Katherine asked Remus, "Please tell me that won't be considered cheating."

He smiled, "That's not going to be considered cheating."

She grinned and began to clap and cheer with the rest of the crowd.

Remus laughed and joined in as well.

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After the last child had gone Katherine felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see her Uncle Albus, who motioned for her to follow him.

Albus led her to his office and then sat behind his desk, looking tired, "I suppose I owe you an apology my dear… I have wronged you… so many times."

She leaned against a bookshelf, "You _suppose_ you owe me an apology?"

He sighed, "You're not going to make this easy, are you Katherine?"

She looked at him for a long time. If she was being honest with herself, she would have to admit that there was a very large part of her that wanted to never forgive her uncle, regardless of any apologies he could make. But at the same time… she'd lost so many people. Her mother, her father, her brother, her adopted mother, her old lover, all of the friends she'd made in America… gone. She knew that even with a time turner, there was no going back to her old life at this point. She also knew that she would not be able to go forwards with this life, wherever it may lead her, if she didn't forgive the blasted man. Besides… it was rather comforting to know that Albus Dumbledore was distinctly human, and made very human mistakes. Furthermore, she was aware that he really _did_ think he was doing the right thing by her… in a very fucked up, I'm surprised that I got locked up in the madhouse and you haven't yet sort of way. Perhaps that's what differentiated her from her brother, her sudden willingness to forgive someone that doesn't necessarily deserve it. And she _was_ different than her brother, distinctly different.

"Katherine? Please say something," Albus looked at her pleadingly.

It was then that Katherine realized that she had been silent for a very long time. "Serves him right, anyway," Katherine thought with a sigh. Then she said, "I forgive you, Uncle."

He blinked at her, "What?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Have you lost your hearing as well as your mind, Uncle Albus? I said I forgive you. Should I use smaller words?"

He looked at her for a long time and then began to chuckle. He stood up, walked over to her, and embraced her.

She was momentarily affronted at him touching her, and then she decided she might as well return the embrace.

When Albus finally stopped hugging her he said, "From now on, I'll do my best to make sure that I consult with you before making decisions that concern you."

Katherine smirked, "I'd appreciate that Uncle. Maybe you'll even listen to what I have to say?"

His eyes twinkled.

She chuckled.

As Albus pulled away something caught Katherine's eye; an old hat that had caused a great deal of trouble in its long history. "Uncle… does the sorting hat only work once a year? Does it work only on children?"

He shook his head, "No… why?"

She gave a small smile, "I'd like to see something, if I may?"

He smiled, "Of course, my dear girl." He walked over to the sorting hat, plucked it from its resting place, and then walked over to Katherine; setting it on her head.

Katherine briefly heard, "Hmm… let's see…" Then there was a moment of silence before the hat yelled out, "Ravenclaw!"

Katherine smiled and closed her eyes as Albus took the hat off of her head.

He looked down at her, smiling slightly, "Satisfied?"

She nodded, "Distinctly."

He chuckled, "You've proved everyone wrong."

She smiled and looked up at her Uncle, and knew that the twinkle in her blue eyes matched the twinkle in his, "I can live with that. But nobody is to know of this, _especially_ Miss Chang."

He laughed and nodded, "Agreed. My lips are sealed."

She smiled and then, on a whim, decided to hug him, "Thank you Uncle Albus."

He returned the embrace, "You're very welcome, my darling child."


	29. Chapter 29

Author's note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any money off of this story. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Review please! It lets me know how I'm doing and I always take your reviews into serious consideration. Also, I truly like hearing from you.

"Professor Tingstrom?" Katherine heard a familiar voice whisper behind her. As Katherine turned around she heard and then felt someone come running up to her and embrace her. She looked down to see the shaggy hair of Harry Potter. "I'm so glad you're back!" He wailed, just slightly.

Katherine raised an eyebrow. She hadn't realized that her presence was so important to the little nuisance. However, far be it from her to turn away an unhappy child. Katherine put a hand on his head and smiled while messing his hair, "I've come to see the games. You were very brave today Harry, as usual."

He looked up and grinned at her, "So you saw it?"

She nodded.

He gave her a questioning look, "And you're not screaming at me for it?"

She chuckled, he certainly remembered her correctly. "Well, I couldn't very well chide you about participating in the tournament. Although I do believe you're much too young to be in it."

He frowned, "I wasn't supposed to be able to. Someone put my name in without knowing."

Katherine raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?" She vaguely remembered hearing something along those lines at some point or another. "Who do you think it was?"

Harry shrugged, "I don't know… Ron's mad at me for it though. He thinks I put my own name in so that I could get attention."

She scowled, "And why the bloody hell would you do that? Aren't you always squawking about how you wish you could just lead a normal life, or something along those lines?"

He nodded.

"And yet he still thinks you did it?"

Harry nodded again, looking very sad.

Katherine gave a long suffering sigh as Albus watched with amusement, "Do you want me to say something to him, Harry?"

Harry shook his head, but smiled, "No thank you, I think that I should take care of this myself." He hugged her again, "I'm really glad you're back though. I wish it was to stay. The castle just isn't as nice without you and Professor Lupin around. You were like the _nice _Aunt and Uncle I never had…"

Katherine snorted, "And didn't want, I imagine."

He gave her an incredulous look that made her smile, "You know… I wish you had known my Mum."

She raised an eyebrow, "And why is that?"

"Because I think you would have been friends with her… and you might have been able to protect her like you try to protect the students here." He said, looking completely genuine.

That touched something in Katherine's heart, and her eyes softened. "Mr. Potter… Harry… there are certain things in life that nobody can stop, no matter how much they want to. That's the problem, you see, with being one of the people who survives a loss. You go over things, ways that you could have helped stop it, how somebody… _anybody_… could have stopped it, but the problem is that there are some things that just… happen. It's the sick and twisted way that life works, you see, that it's a web. There are only so many things that you can control, and still, before you know it the entire structure could be falling down and you're left wondering what you could have done differently. And the thing is that, often things are just out of our control. All we can do in the meantime is stay strong and love those close to us while we have them." She sighed and smoothed Harry's hair, "Troubles will always find their way into our lives, but, if we're lucky… and if we let them… good things do the same. We just have to let the past stay in the past and go on with our future because it's all we have left."

He looked up at her with thoughtful eyes, as if considering what she said, and then hugged her. "I didn't know that you…"

She hugged him back, "Oh Harry, don't be naïve. You won't meet a single person who doesn't have demons to face."

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After she left Harry to talk to Albus, Katherine ran as fast as she could to get to the one person she knew could help stop the storm brewing inside her. After listening to her own words, she felt a sort of understanding come over her, and yet still felt incredibly… bereft. Right now she needed to feel warm and safe, and he was the only one that gave her that feeling.

"Remus!" She yelled, when she saw him roaming the hallways in search for her.

He turned and went wide eyed at the expression on her face, opening his arms for her embrace, "Katherine, what happened?"

She ran into his arms and wrapped her own around his waist, nuzzling into his chest. "I don't know I just… please just hold me for a while."

He tightened his hold on her, and nuzzled his cheek into her hair, "I can do that…"

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Remus had decided to stay with Katherine that night. She had been so moody and troubled ever since speaking with her Uncle; it made him wonder what the man had said to her. She hadn't wanted to speak about it, and he was hesitant to push her. Katherine was still so delicate after her trauma, even though she was much better. Amory told him that Katherine still had regular nightmares, although Katherine still refused to take a dreamless sleep potion for whatever reason.

He looked down at her sleeping form, smiling. Right now, with her face relaxed and soft from sleep, the moon giving her pale skin an unearthly glow… you would never be able to tell that trouble had ever found his lovely fey. He chuckled, wondering how she'd feel about him thinking of her as a fey. He couldn't help it, from the first moment he'd seen her she'd reminded him of the pictures of the fair folk he used to see in his books of fairy tales. She had the same small, round nose, the large eyes with long eyelashes, the mouth that was a little too thin to be considered full and too full to be considered thin, slender, long limbed, long hands and feet, oval shaped face, and the fact that she now had cerulean blue eyes just added to her already unusual features. He remembered thinking it very appropriate when she decided to dress as a fairy for Halloween… even if she was rubbish at fixing her hair.

Remus gently ran his fingers through her hair. He supposed that most wouldn't consider her especially beautiful, and it was true, if one thought that the delicate features of classic storybook princesses or (Merlin forbid) today's fashion models were the standard for beauty then Katherine would certainly be left wanting. But Katherine was interesting to look at, and only an idiot wouldn't at least consider her pretty. Personally, though, Remus had always fancied the fair folk as being the loveliest of the storybook characters.

Though that could have been in part for their personalities, which Katherine undoubtedly shared. Fairies were petty, vindictive, smart, moody, loyal as hell once they'd decided to like you, and possibly the most alluring creatures to ever grace the face of this earth. Even at their most nasty and thoughtless, there was just something about the fair folk… just like there was something about Katherine. Perfect, she wasn't, but he loved her anyway.

He sighed, laying his head back but not letting go of Katherine, as the hard truth once again decided to smash him. He couldn't point out when he'd fallen in love with Katherine, even if he attempted to, but he certainly had. Somewhere between 'Hello' and 'Oh Remus' she'd worked her way into his heart without even trying to. And he knew she hadn't been trying to because only an idiot wouldn't have recognized that she was mooning over Severus. Not that he blamed her for not returning his feelings. He was too old, too poor, and too dangerous to be with anyone; let alone her. She was still in the springtime of her life (or at least the summer) and he had no right to hope that she would ever return his feelings. At least he knew that Severus would take care of her, and not allow her to get hurt again, if he ever got his head out of his ass long enough to recognize a good thing when he saw it; the bloody stupid git.

Remus still couldn't understand how Severus could have just… left, like that. Katherine had told him what she'd said to Severus, and to him it sounded more like a challenge than an actual demand that he leave (a challenge he would have taken in a second if offered). The least he could have done would have been to give her one of his sour looks and told her he wasn't going to acknowledge her while she was in such a state, coming back the next day of course. He couldn't think of one good reason as to why Severus had just abandoned Katherine, other than he had lost his bloody mind.

Katherine sighed in her sleep, giving a little smile as she snuggled closer to Remus and clutched at his shirt.

Remus smiled and kissed the top of her head… Then again, he was biased.

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Severus came over the next day. He had no idea why, except he had heard the Gryffindors talking about Katherine having a talk with Potter and he wanted to know what torture she'd inflicted upon him this time.


	30. Chapter 30

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any money off of this story. However, I will try to portray the world and characters to the best of my abilities.

Review please! It helps me to know how I'm doing, and I always take your reviews into serious consideration.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It's not that bad, sweetheart. You really are quite a talented witch, considering you are learning magic for the first time at such an… advanced age." Amory said comfortingly.

"Granny Amory… I turned a stool into a wooden elephant." Katherine sighed, trying not to show how irritated she was.

"And what were you trying to turn it into again?"

"A chair."

"Oh dear… well, it's not _that_ far off."

"I love you Granny, but you truly are insane. Besides that, you're not helping." Katherine pushed a strand of mahogany hair behind her ear and then closed her eyes. Granny Amory had been tutoring her in magic for weeks now. Charms were no problem (as usual), she also seemed to have skill at the defense against the dark arts spells that Amory showed her, she'd managed a few elementary potions without blowing anything up (though she was hesitant to try any complicated potions under Amory's tutelage seeing as Amory was no Snape and probably couldn't avert a disaster very easily); and so Katherine had been feeling pretty good about herself until Amory decided it was time to work on transfiguration. Frankly, Katherine was much worse at transfiguration than she'd originally thought. The subject had never been easy for her, mind you, but now she was actually beginning to frighten herself. Considering her family had a long history of talent in transfiguration, you would think that she would at least have some natural ability. But no, the only natural ability she had was the ability to speak the words and wave a wand at the same time.

"You just have to keep in mind what you want it to turn into and _feel_ it changing. You have to control it, dear." Amory said matter-of-factly.

Katherine snorted, "It's a stool, how the hell am I supposed to feel a stool?"

"Well, you'll just have to figure that out, won't you?" Amory said in a way that reminded her of her Uncle Albus.

Katherine narrowed her eyes and cursed whatever asshole in the universe had decided that it was acceptable for her to be from the Dumbledore bloodline. In fact, the hand of fate seemed to be perpetually out to get her and she didn't appreciate it one bit. Crazy, no good relatives… "I suppose I _will_ have to… if I care to. But why will I need transfiguration?"

"Because all wizards and witches need to know transfiguration! It's something we use most!" Amory said, more than a little indignant.

Katherine snorted, "I've survived this long without being able to turn a tea cozy into a steel plate, and I believe I'll be able to go on without it a bit longer."

Amory narrowed her eyes and looked as if she was about to give Katherine yet another torturous lecture about what it means to be a witch, and more importantly a Dumbledore, when they heard a cold and familiar voice say, "Honestly Miss Dumbledore, there are times I wonder how you survived at all with that rotten attitude of yours."

Katherine rolled her eyes and turned to Professor Snape, "I would take a long look in the mirror before calling someone else's attitude rotten if I were you, Professor Snape. Although I do understand that I am not you, which is good, because I don't begrudge you the task of trying to control any Hogwarts house, let alone the Slytherins, while also having to mangle dead animals on a regular basis."

Snape just snorted and glared at her.

Katherine sighed and said, "What is it this time, Snape? I've already reassured you that I haven't told any children how to conduct any mischievous act since I stopped being a teacher, gave you proof that I did not send an anonymous letter to you saying what a bastard you are for letting people find out about Remus' condition (though rightfully I must admit you have good reason to suspect as much), gave you an alibi as to my whereabouts when all the Gryffindors suddenly had passing grades on their term papers overnight, told you time and time again I am _not_ the Potter boy's new mentor, and a great deal of other things that are even more inane. So what is it, Snape? Why and how do you suddenly find the time and reason to torment me so? This is the third time I've seen you this week, what is it?"

"The Weasley girl quoted you yesterday and then refused to finish her potion because I yelled at her pitiful attempts at a wart remover. Tell me, how is it you've managed to still exert your influence over the children even in your absence?" He raised an accusing eyebrow.

Katherine gave a long suffering sigh and put her forehead in her hand, "I'm a teacher, I'm _supposed_ to be influential. Look, I'm _sorry_ if my philosophies are still a pain in your ass, but there's nothing I can do about it now. I'm no longer a teacher, the only times I get near children are when I go to the competition at Hogwarts and even then I spend most of my time with Remus. I'm not doing anything wrong so why the hell won't you _leave me alone_?"

"Because you keep showing up in my life, and I don't appreciate it. I'll leave you alone when you leave _me_ alone, and no sooner." He said venomously.

"I _am_ leaving you alone. I haven't done anything even to catch your attention in over a year, I can't do much more to leave you alone than that. We're not colleagues anymore, we were never really friends, and anything more than that is completely out of the question! I'm leaving you alone, so now _please_ do the same for me! I have enough problems without your constant criticism!" With that, she turned and left.

Snape just glared after her.

Amory shook her head and said, "You know, whatever you're trying to do… you're pulling it off very badly."

Severus raised an eyebrow, "I beg your pardon?"

Amory huffed, "Beg all you want, you won't get it." With that, she walked away after her daughter.

He shook his head, "The whole family is completely mad…"

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Severus visited you _again_?" Remus asked incredulously, looking down at Katherine who had her head on his lap as she continued to stitch a patch into his robe. Katherine, bless her, still seemed to prefer doing things the muggle way as opposed to the magic way. Old habits died hard, he supposed.

Katherine snorted, "I wouldn't really call them visits. He seems bound and determined to make me as miserable as possible. It's like being at Hogwarts again, but without the respect between colleagues. I mean, I could understand him being so critical when we worked together… I wasn't perfect and he _is_ Snape… but now there's just no reason for him to seek me out like this!"

"Isn't there?" Remus probed gently.

She gave him a hard look, "No, there isn't. Whatever semblance of… friendship… I had with that man is over and done with. I'm not the same girl I was before, it would be… inappropriate."

He smiled gently, "You still are friends with me."

She smiled and raised her hand to gently stroke his cheek, "I don't see there being any change in me that could do anything to stop me from wanting you around, Remus. You mean the world to me, and you'll always have a place in my life."

He took her hand and gently squeezed it.

She sat up and looked at her work, seeming pleased, "I'm no seamstress, but I think I did pretty well with this. Hopefully the damn stitches will stay in this time."

Remus chuckled, "Much obliged." 

Katherine grinned at him, "Happy to help. You're so self-reliant and I've been so damn needy lately that I'd probably jump at just about any opportunity to repay you for how good you've been to me."

He shook his head affectionately, "We're friends, and friends don't need to repay one another for being good to each other. That's what friends are for."

"What? Having someone to do your bidding free of charge?" She smirked.

He rolled his eyes and nudged her personably, "Only you would put it in those terms."

She chuckled, "I highly doubt that."

He rolled his eyes but didn't say anything; he didn't feel like arguing right now.

She nuzzled against his shoulder and sighed, "Amory says I'm improving in my studies… how do you get used to… doing things like that?"

He sighed and combed his fingers gently through her hair, "I suppose it's because I've been doing magic since I was young. I was raised around magic… had magic…"

"Happen to you?" She said sympathetically.

He nodded and hugged her a little closer, "It'll be alright, Katherine."

She rested her hand and cheek on Remus' shoulder, sighing gently, "I hope your right Remus…" _He's so warm and good..._

He rubbed her back softly, resting his head on hers. _I hope I'm right too…_

--------------------------------------------------------------

A black owl pecked on the window one morning, disturbing Katherine and Amory from their tea.

"Expecting a delivery?" Amory asked, looking at Katherine curiously.

Katherine just shrugged and went to the window, "I hope that it's not something bad…"

Amory raised her eyebrows, "Such as?"

Katherine frowned darkly, "Like Uncle Albus is making Remus do something and making him leave…"

Amory smiled knowingly, "And that would be bad?"

Katherine scowled, hissing, "Of course it would be bad! Poor, darling Remus, nobody leaving him the hell… Oh…"

"Oh?"

"Oh, it's just Albus making us go back to Hogwarts for the next challenge." Katherine sighed, whether in distress or relief Amory couldn't tell.

"Is that a bad thing, or good?"

Katherine shook her head, "Neither, I'm just getting a bit tired of Hogwarts, quite frankly."

Amory smirked, "Who knows, you might see your friend Professor Snape there…"

Katherine snorted, "Oh, _him_. Most likely… damn it."

Amory laughed.

Katherine huffed, "I swear, if I never saw another man except for Remus I'd be a very happy woman. Always telling me what to do, trying to _improve_ me. No good rat bastards…"

"Tell me, my dear, at what point did you get such a foul mouth?" Amory asked with amusement.

Katherine shrugged, "Somewhere between junior high school and prom I was forced to use smaller, cruder words so that the idiots around me might understand them."

Amory chuckled, "Somehow I always believed you'd be a bit snootier than you have. I must say, I approve."

Katherine raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Katherine shrugged, "Just trying to picture a snootier version of myself… rather scary, actually."

Amory laughed.


	31. Chapter 31

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this series. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Review Please! It really helps me know how I'm doing, and I truly value your thoughts.

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"This is sick! This is just… just sick!" Katherine screeched, throwing her fists in the air.

Albus just sighed patiently, "These are the Triwizard tournament games…"

Katherine snorted, "I know that! Don't you think I know that? Frankly, just about everything in this world is sick and twisted. How the wizarding world has been able to get away with treating their children this long I'll never know. It's like the dark ages… except with magic and instead of a plague killing people there are dark wizards. Sick, just sick." She shook her head in disgust and looked away as the children dived into the black lake after their friends.

"You are still young, Katherine, some day you will understand…" Albus said thoughtfully.

Katherine glared at him, "Fuck you, Uncle Albus." She crossed her arms and spied Neville looking worriedly at the lake.

She walked up to him and asked, "Is everything alright, Neville?"

He looked at her in despair, "I think I've killed Harry Potter!"

Katherine went wide eyed, "You what? How the bloody hell did you manage to do that? Isn't he in the lake with the other challengers?"

Neville shook his head, "That's just what's done it…" He began to explain about the gillyweed and his involvement with the Golden Trio.

Katherine looked at him with mixed emotions, "Oh Neville…" Then she looked out at the lake and smirked, "I doubt you'll have to worry about that." She pointed towards the water.

Neville turned and saw Harry jump out of the water like a dolphin.

Katherine shook her head, "The show off… he'll be lucky if Snape doesn't kill him."

"Or me…" Neville said, shaking slightly. From the remaining fear for Harry, or the residual fear of Snape, Katherine couldn't tell.

Something flashed across her memory.

Harry was going to get some sort of golden puzzle egg…

Cedric Diggory would help him solve it…

Harry and Cedric…

Harry and Cedric…

Katherine suddenly remembered everything she'd learned about the Harry Potter story from her former life. The maze… Cedric and Harry…

Katherine turned and saw Severus now standing with Albus.

Severus…

Yes, that would do.

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Katherine immediately went down into the dungeons after she'd seen that all the children got out of the water safely.

Severus was, as expected, raging about looking for his missing gillyweed.

She chuckled and said, "Sorry Professor Snape, it's been pinched."

Severus gave her a withering glare, "Obviously… what do you want?"

Katherine went very serious and upon remembering what she had to tell him, it was hard for her to keep her voice steady, "I have to talk to you about something."

He gave a long suffering sigh and rolled his eyes dramatically, "Very well, be quick about it. Unlike _some_, I actually have things that I need to attend to."

The insult went completely over her head in her steadfast worry for the children and her hope that she was right about the appropriate course of action for all of this. "Severus, something is going to happen during the games?"

"Such as what?" He asked harshly.

"Such as Cedric Diggory is going to die after he and Harry witness he-who-shall-not-be-named being reborn."

Severus went completely still, "Pardon?"

"The last game… it's a trap. They're going to get in the maze and when they touch the… the… what's it called… the trophy! When they touch the trophy it's going to be a port key and they're going to go to this old graveyard and Diggory will be killed… Harry will almost be killed too…"

Severus gave her a dangerous look, "And why should I believe any of this?"

Katherine shook her head, "I'm not asking you to believe it, just to keep it in mind. If there are any rumors that even hint at what I'm saying coming true… just please keep it in mind."

"And why not go to the Headmaster with this? Why come to me?"

"You know as well as I do that if I were to speak like this to Uncle Albus, he would put me right back in St. Mungo's. But its _true_ Severus, it is. I'm not going mad again."

He shook his head and opened his mouth to say something, but she clutched his arm.

She looked at him with wide, appealing eyes. "I'm not asking you to believe me, or even to believe in me. I know we've had our differences recently, and even before I went to St. Mungo's we had problems… I'm just asking you to please remember what I've said to you. I couldn't bear it if… if…" She closed her eyes and shook her head, as if to clear her mind of the awful images, "Please… please Severus." She looked him in the eyes, "You're the only one I can trust with this. The only one I know that could fix it."

Severus Snape looked at her long and hard for what seemed like an eternity before he finally said, softly, "Alright… I'll keep it in mind." Searching her face one last time he whispered to the point of his words being unintelligible, "I promise."

She smiled softly and loosened what had become a death grip on his arm, "Thank you Professor Snape… thank you."

He turned away from her and put his hands on his desk, though not bending over or seeming the least bit emotionally perturbed from her viewpoint, "Get out of my office, now. I have to see if there are any signs of who stole my gillyweed."

Katherine gave a useless nod, considering he wasn't looking at her anymore, and left without another word. If she knew anything about Severus Snape, it was that she could trust his word once it was given.

----------------------------------------------------------

Upon walking the grounds she heard someone come up behind her, and turned around.

Sirius Black smiled at her softly and asked, "Are you alright?"

She couldn't quite manage the haughty glare she would have given to him in other circumstances, "Don't I look it?"

"You look as if someone's just killed your pet, to tell the truth." He said, looking concerned.

She gave him a disgruntled look, "How very flattering of you."

He shrugged, "Remus is worried about you, you know. He's been looking everywhere."

"I'm not a child, and despite popular belief I do not need a babysitter!"

He casually put his hands in his pockets and said, "I never said you were, or that you did. Just said that Remus was worried and looking for you."

She snorted, "Fine then, you've told me. Please go away."

He shook his head, "No, I don't think I will."

She threw her hands up in the air, "Oh, for Merlin's sake!" She turned and walked off in the opposite direction.

Sirius followed her. "You know, I think if you gave me half a chance we'd be friends."

She sneered, "Oh, and what makes you think that _oh wise one_?"

Although she wasn't looking, she knew he shrugged again. "Just a feeling. Maybe if you weren't insistent upon being a prejudiced bitch you could get a similar one."

Katherine immediately turned on her heel, "Excuse me, did you just call _me_ a prejudiced bitch."

"Yes, considering you immediately decided that you didn't like me and have been bitching at me ever since we met, it seems like a pretty good description of you." He didn't look even the slightest bit guilty or off put while saying it. In fact, he looked more as if he was making a remark about the weather than insulting her.

Katherine snorted, "I knew plenty about you before I decided that I didn't like you. And before you go saying that learning facts about someone isn't enough to decide that you don't like them on, I'd beg you to consider your own actions in the past."

He looked stricken for a moment, and then said, "Oh, I wouldn't dare. Not with you, anyway. But, come on… we're both friends with Remus so we should at least _try_ to get along." He walked up beside her and gave her a charming little smile, "You'd try it for Remus, wouldn't you?"

Katherine opened her mouth to make a retort, but knew she was trapped. Of course she would try for Remus' sake. She doubted that there was anything above destroying her very being that she wouldn't acquiesce to for Remus. So she merely sighed and said, "What do you have in mind?"

He smiled and said, "Lets start over, shall we?" He held out his hand, "Sirius Black, nice to meet you."

She gave his hand a suspicious glance, but then shook her head and took it, "Katherine Dumbledore, charmed."

He laughed at that, and she blushed when realizing how silly that actually sounded. After a moment, she couldn't help a small chuckle as well.

"Or maybe not," She said slyly.

He feigned a long suffering sigh and said, "Women…" Then he smiled at her.

She actually, surprisingly, smiled back. But then everything began to settle on her again and it faded.

He frowned and asked, "Hey, really, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and kept walking, "I just hate the Triwizard tournament."

Sirius nodded, "You're really protective of these kids, I've heard."

Katherine chuckled humorlessly, "I suppose I am."

"Too bad you're not a teacher anymore. There aren't many people who really care about anyone's kids except for their own."

She looked at him in surprise. Truthfully, she'd never expected to hear anything even resembling serious conversation from Sirius. At least, not directed at her.

He smirked, "It was kind of nice, that little bit while I was outside and you were still a teacher here, knowing that someone other than Remus was looking out for Harry without ulterior motives."

Suddenly, Katherine felt very ashamed of herself, "Hence your very friendly attitude towards me…"

He gave her a half smile, "Well, that, and you looked very good to a man who hadn't been out with other people in twelve years."

She smirked, "Please stop flattering me; I'm not sure I can take anymore." Then she shook her head, "And you should know… nobody does something for nothing. Everyone has ulterior motives for everything they do."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Oh, and what would yours be?"

She shrugged, "I don't like seeing other people hurt, especially children."

He gave her an incredulous look, "And that's an ulterior motive?"

She gave him a look, "About as much of one as you caring about Harry because he's the son of your best friend."

That made understanding dawn on his face, "Oh…"

She nodded, "Yes, oh."

He looked at her for a moment, "You know… for a woman that resembles a Cupie doll, you're pretty smart."

She rolled her eyes, "Shut the fuck up, Black." Then, after a moment, "And I do not resemble a Cupie doll…"

He chuckled, "Oh yes, you do."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do _not_!"

"Do _too_!"


	32. Chapter 32

Author's note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any money off of this story. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Review please! It lets me know how I'm doing and I always take your reviews into serious consideration. Also, I truly like hearing from you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Katherine had finally gotten up the courage to try some more advanced potions.

Amory looked over her shoulder, looking at the recipe for the potion, and shook her head. "Are you certain you want to do this? Nobody in our family has ever excelled in potions…"

Katherine shrugged her off and said snippily, "I happen to _like_ potions, thank you very much. If you're so worried about disaster, you know where the door is."

Amory shook her head, sighed, and started to leave while mumbling, "Silly girl will get herself killed right after coming back…"

"**I heard that!**" She screamed after her.

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She started with a fifth year potion that didn't look too hard and gave a very descriptive explanation of what the final result would be.

Her first attempt exploded (just a little explosion though).

The next one boiled over.

Her third try gave off a rancid stench (which wasn't supposed to happen).

On her fourth try the potion was much too dark.

Finally, the fifth time she did it, it came out perfectly. She got a bottle and poured the potion into it, cleaned out her cauldron and her work area, and then started on another potion.

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When Katherine didn't come in for lunch or dinner, Amory began to get worried. She went out to the cleaned out garden shed where Katherine was working to see if her granddaughter needed any help. Instead, Amory found Katherine intently chopping lemongrass as an orange mixture bubbled softly in her cauldron.

Looking around, Amory found three bottles of different colored potions on the shelves. Several different potions books were opened and laid out on a table underneath the potions bottles; on a closer look she saw that two of them were the same potion cross referenced, one was apparently a guide to different plants and their indications, another was a stern warning of what not to do with that specific potion, and the last was a different potion that was similar to the one that she was making.

"I know you're there, Granny Amory," Katherine said quietly as she carefully slid the lemongrass into the cauldron.

Amory smiled softly, "I'm sorry poppet, I was just wondering if something had happened to you."

Katherine surprised Amory by turning around and smiled beatifically at her, "That's alright, I don't mind. Sorry if I worried you, I suppose I got caught up in what I was doing. Do you need something?"

"Well, it would be nice if you'd come inside and have something to eat. Merlin knows you're skinny enough without skipping meals." Amory said, hands on her hips.

Katherine chuckled lightly, "Yes _ma'm_, I'll be in as soon as I finish this."

Amory nodded and said in a faux stern tone, "See that you are!"

Katherine turned and stuck her tongue out at her grandmother before going back to her potion.

Amory was grinning as she left the shed. In fact, she was so pleased by Katherine's mood that she didn't even laugh when she came in with an orange face; nor did she complain when Katherine went back out to the shed directly after dinner.

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The day after the Yule Ball Severus decided to pay Katherine a visit.

He was directed to an old garden shed in the back yard by her grandmother, and found her hard at work stirring a potion. His eyes immediately went from her, to the many books strewn over different a table, to the different ingredients laid out, and finally to several different potion bottles that were placed neatly on a shelf.

He went to the potion bottles and inspected their labels; then he pulled the bottles off of the shelf and after inspecting them by look and scent found that each one was done properly. To say that he was amazed was an understatement. How the bloody hell had the woman been able to complete the potions on her own?

Damn Dumbledors…

"So, are they decent attempts?" Katherine asked quietly from her worktable.

Severus sniffed as he placed the potions back in their proper order, "They are adequate. Who taught you about potions?"

"I did."

He turned and looked at her, eyebrow raised.

As if sensing his look, she sighed, "It takes me longer than your students, most likely, and I usually need several attempts before I get a potion right; but I do get them right eventually. It's not as if I can just go to Hogwarts and have these things taught to me, you know."

Severus shook his head, "And to think last year you were a mere muggle."

Katherine snorted, "I still am, for the most part. Charms are easy enough, but transfiguration is still a disaster to me; and besides that, I can't get used to doing magic with my wand. It feels unnatural to me." She sighed and then Severus could hear a small smile in her voice, "But I like doing potions, they make sense to me. I can see why you're so devoted to the subject."

"Indeed…" Severus said quietly. Then he cleared his throat and straightened back into his intimidating posture, which he hadn't realized he'd relaxed while talking. "I need to you to tell me everything you know about the final game, Miss Dumbledore."

"I've already told you everything I know, Severus. You're just going to figure out what to do about it yourself." She said as she poured some crushed beetles into the cauldron. "It shouldn't be too hard for you. If you need help, there's always my Uncle Albus."

He shook his head, "He'll want to know where I got the information."

"Really? Somehow I thought that he wouldn't really care." She said, looking back at him (he could have sworn he saw an all too familiar twinkle in her eyes).

He scowled, "Precisely what did you expect me to do with the information that you've given me?"

She shrugged, "Whatever you feel is right, I suppose. Besides, it's not as if anyone can blame you for telling my Uncle and doing something… it's not as if you can tell the future."

Severus gave her a disapproving look, "You're an odd, frustrating young woman Miss Dumbledore."

"Yes, I know. Please don't let the door hit you in the ass as you leave."


	33. Chapter 33

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this story. I will, however, try to portray everything to the best of my abilities.

Review please! It helps me know how I'm doing and I always take them into serious consideration.

Amory was chatting with Katherine about something, but of course she wasn't listening (as usual these days); Katherine was too busy reading up on the latest potion she was working on. "Katherine, are you even listening to me?"

She didn't even look up, just turned a page and began humming… something. Amory wouldn't ask what she was humming, most likely it was some muggle song she'd never heard of and Katherine would roll her eyes and begin explaining it to her as if she was four (if she even noticed she'd asked a question).

After a moment Katherine said lightly, "You know… I find myself growing rather fond of belladonna… as well as some other herbs which have such lovely grey purposes." Then she looked up, "And no, I don't think turquoise would be a lovely shade to paint the sitting room. Next thing I know, you'll want to paint my room yellow."

Amory brightened up, "Yellow is a lovely color!"

Katherine growled, "Studies have shown that looking at yellow too much causes madness, and we both know I don't need anymore help with that."

Amory was silent for a moment then said, "True."

Katherine glared at her for a moment and then went back to her reading.

---------------------------------------------

Remus blinked.

Katherine raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"What, precisely, brought this on?" He asked, having to repress a chuckle.

"What do you mean _what brought this on_? I should think it would be obvious." She said, pacing a hand on her hip.

"I mean… well… this wasn't exactly expected."

She gave him a look, "Wasn't expected? It's been a long time coming, I should think."

He raised his eyebrows, "Really?"

"Yes, really."

"How do you figure that?"

"Well, I've been working with potions nearly all day, every day. Besides, you know how much I hate having to do my hair…"

He shook his head, "But I never expected you to cut your hair! Especially not that short… though you do look awfully cute…" He gave her a shy smile.

Katherine blushed and ran her fingers through her now chin length hair, "Well… uhm… thank you. It really was necessary though, I didn't want my hair getting in my potions or catching on fire…"

He laughed, "No, that wouldn't have been good."

She smiled at him, "So… you like it."

He grinned and nodded, "Yes, I like it. Just was a bit of a shock at first."

She walked up to him and wrapped an arm around his, "So… want to see the new potions I've made? I'm halfway through the fifth year book already!"

He raised his eyebrows, smiling, "You're becoming a regular potions master!"

She laughed and said, "Don't let Snape hear you say that!"

He winked, "Maybe I'll have to someday, because it'll be true."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled.

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"The final test is coming up in the competition." Severus said, looking dourly at Katherine's potions. He took one down and sniffed it, "And the bicorn horn you used for your polyjuice potion was off. You'll have to make a new batch."

She took the potion and binned it, "Thank you."

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"The final test is coming up."

"And?"

"And… what do you propose we do?"

"I believe I told you to figure that out yourself?"

"You mean you're not going to offer any more information?"

"I've given you all the information I can. I'm sure you know a great deal more about the matter than I do at the moment, so it's best you figure this out on your own. As I've said."

He sighed, "You really are the most insufferable woman…"

She finished stirring and then glared at the potion, "Look who's talking."

"If there's anything else you find out… you will tell me, right?"

She sighed and looked at him, "Why don't you say what you're really here for, Severus? We both know you probably know the number of boils on the ass of the person who's going to be doing the spell by now. You don't need anything from me, so why are you here?"

He looked at her for a long time, and then sneered, "Just making sure that you haven't blown yourself up with your amature potion making, I suppose."

She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and went back to her potion, "And why do you care?"

Without missing a beat, he said, "Albus would be more insufferable than usual if grieving his beloved niece. Especially if there was something I could have done about it."

She smirked, "Well then… I suppose that means I'll be getting a great deal more visits from you in the future, won't I?" She threw a handful of crushed roots into the potion.

He raised an eyebrow, "I suppose you will." With that he turned and walked out of the shed, robes billowing and all.

She shook her head, and went back to her potion. She frowned, "I don't believe this should be green…"


	34. Chapter 34

Author's note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any money off of this story. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Review please! It lets me know how I'm doing and I always take your reviews into serious consideration. Also, I truly like hearing from you.

"What do you mean you can't do anything about it?!?!?!" Katherine screamed. Apparently, Severus had told Albus that he'd gotten the information from her (damn him to wherever people like him went when they died) and Albus felt the need to make Katherine come to Hogwarts so he could tell her personally that although he hadn't shared his sources of information the ministry refused to cancel the challenge. Personally, at this point, Katherine was hoping that something small and nasty ate them all slowly.

Albus shook his head, "I'm sorry, my dear, but the ministry didn't believe the story. They thought it was a cruel hoax."

"Well, what are we going to do about it then? We can't allow the children to be hurt just because the ministry is a bunch of imbeciles… right?"

Albus didn't look at her.

She went pale, "Right?"

He shook his head, "I'm sorry Katherine… there's nothing we can do."

For a moment, Katherine was right back in the hospital staring at a grey wall. Then she shook her head, clenched her shaking fists, and growled, "You mean… you're just going to stand here and let those children…"

He sighed dramatically, "I'm sorry…"

"**You son of a bitch!**" She screamed, barely able to keep from striking the man. "**You're always meddling around with people's lives, but you can't even save them?**"

"I'm sorry."

She stood in front of him and glared, "I hope you burn in hell…"

He shook his head, "I probably will…"

She turned abruptly and was about to leave when he said, "Wait!" She turned around and looked at her uncle. He threw her a purple cloak and said, "Good luck, my darling girl."

She looked down at the cloak and then up at the old man. He was smiling at her, giving her that infamous twinkle. She sighed and smiled at him slightly, "Then again… maybe not." She turned around again and left.

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Katherine found Severus and grabbed his sleeve. He turned around, and before he could make a scathing comment she blurted out, "Find Mad Eye Moony, he's an imposter working for you know who. Find the real Moony afterwards, ok?"

He gave her a questioning glance, and was about to say something, but she ran off.

He noticed, as she left, that an unfamiliar purple cloak was billowing behind her.

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The boys were about to go to the challenge, and so Katherine ran quicker. She was never that fast, and the ground was a bit soggy, and so she was praying to anyone who'd listen that she made it on time.

When she got up to the boys, she stood in front of the labyrinth and said, "You can't go in there!"

Harry and Cedric looked at her questioningly, "Why not?" Harry asked.

"Just, trust me, it isn't a very good idea." She said, holding her hands in front of her.

"If we don't go, we'll lose the contest…" Cedric said, uncertain.

She rolled her eyes, "That's the least of your problems."

Harry narrowed his eyes, "It's Voldemort, isn't it?"

She gave him a look, "Harry…"

"No! I'm not going to live in fear of him! Move aside!" He started pushing against her, trying to get past her.

"No, Harry, you don't understand!" She started, unfortunately he'd knocked her inside enough that a long vine came out and grabbed her, pulling her in. Harry immediately followed, intending to help her.

She was pulled into one of the hallways, and Harry ran after her. The hallway immediately began to close in on them. Without another word they began running forward, trying to find another opening. Before they knew it they were where the trophy was. Harry went forward to touch it, but Katherine said, "No!"

He turned around and gave her a look, "Whatever's there, it can't be any worse than what is here."

She shook her head, "You'd be surprised."

"Come with me then."

She looked behind her and sighed, "I'm going to regret this…" She and Harry both touched the trophy.

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Upon witnessing the grotesque display that was the resurrection spell, somehow all Katherine could manage to wonder was, "How the hell did Peter Pettigrew get out of Azkaban… I may not like Sirius, but at least he's fairly bright, and it's believable that he might figure a way out. But Pettigrew? No." She, of course, did not say these things out loud. She'd thankfully been able to hide them both before Pettigrew was able to notice them. How that happened, well, she was willing to chock it up to a miracle.

However, Harry wasn't quite so sensible. He narrowed his eyes and hissed quietly, "Pettigrew!"

Katherine slapped him upside the head. Damn nuisance. Trying to get them both killed… she'd never wished so hard that Lily Potter had lived because if there was ever a boy that needed nagging at, it was Harry Potter.

He rubbed his head, but didn't say anything more.

She looked around for an exit. She wasn't completely sure what happened at this part, but she remembered something about Diggory dying and Harry being saved by his ghost parents. And then them getting home… somehow.

That's when she saw the port key. Shit… they'd be right in the line of view. She poked Harry in the shoulder and then when she had his attention, pointed towards the port key. He gave her a questioning look, but when he saw the look she returned he gave up and they started towards the port key.

They were running and suddenly heard shouting… something about killing… and Katherine felt something hit her and then nothing. They reached the port key and were transported back to Hogwarts. They ran out of the Labyrinth and out onto the green again. Students ran up and were asking about what happened. Cedric came up and Harry told him about what they'd found.

Katherine, however, was just looking at the opening thinking, "We survived?"

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In Albus' office, after everyone had left and Remus was waiting outside (Albus had called him because Katherine had seemed a bit upset after her ordeal), Katherine just stared at her uncle.

He smiled at her and said nothing, waiting for whatever she was going to say.

After about five minutes she finally blinked, narrowed her eyes, and said, "I don't get you."

He smiled, "That's a rather usual reaction to my person."

"You said you weren't going to help me, and in fact you were very little help at all, but I have a strange feeling you helped a lot."

He shrugged.

She pulled up the cloak and asked, "What, precisely, is this?"

"It's what you'd call a deflection cloak. One of a kind, handed down in our family for generations. It can deflect even the most powerful of curses." He smiled at her.

"So… what you're saying is… I probably would have been killed tonight if I hadn't had this on."

"It's a distinct possibility. Mr. Potter may have also fallen victim to their plans, as a matter of fact, if you hadn't been there to protect him."

"And you couldn't have just… I don't know… gone against the ministry to stop the challenge? You just had to let us go through with it and hope for the best."

"Unfortunately."

She shook her head and sighed, beginning to take off the cloak.

He shook his head, "No. It was a gift, I'd like you to keep it. This old body isn't quite as valuable as yours."

"Says one of the most respected and powerful wizards to a poor excuse for a madwoman witch?"

"Precisely."

She sighed and shook her head, "I really don't get you, Uncle."

He smiled at her, "Well… I suppose, in the end of all things, you don't really have to. Life is quite pleasant that way."

"Oh, stop with the philosophy before I start picturing you in Hell again."

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"Katherine, wait!" She heard Severus say from behind her as she made her way out of Hogwarts to meet Remus where he was waiting for her.

She turned around, looking confused, as he ran up to her, "What is it Severus."

He walked up to her, and for a moment they both stood in the moonlight. She studied his pale skin and dark features, looking like a ghost in the moonlight, and she vaguely wondered if she reached out to him if her touch would pass right through him. Well, it wouldn't be much of a change from how their relationship had been lately anyway.

After a moment he reached out gently and touched her cheek, and Katherine had too keep from jumping away. Why was Severus touching her?

He looked deeply into her eyes and said, "I'm… Katherine… I did all I could."

She nodded, "Yes, I'm sure you did."

He shook his head, "I… Your Uncle, he wants me to go back to spying on the death eaters like I did years ago."

She felt a sharp blade of fear run through her at that. They might not be on the best of terms, but she didn't want him in danger. But she'd known that this had to happen, eventually, she just didn't expect it to feel like she was going to lose someone else she cared about. "You'll be careful, won't you."

He looked away and said, "I'll be as careful as always." After a moment his jaw seemed to clench and he said, "Katherine… I don't believe we should associate with one another anymore."

Her eyebrows raised, "Excuse me?"

He looked at her, "I know that in the past we've been… fond of one another, and recently it might have seemed as if it was going to occur again. I'm afraid that can't happen. It won't be practical for us to ever meet in private again unless it's for business purposes."

Katherine looked deep down inside her, to the part of her heart that would have been crushed by this news not so very long ago. But there was no pain, no lingering affection, just a bit of insult and a '_same old Severus' _sort of feeling. So she just shook her head and said, "Severus, I'm not sure which potions you've been sniffing to make you honestly believe I still have a crush on you… but I suggest you cut down. If you don't want to meet in private anymore that's no skin off my arse. Now, if you'll excuse me, Remus is waiting for me."

With that, Katherine turned and walked off.

She could feel Severus staring after her the entire way.


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this series. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please comment! I'd really like to know how you're feeling about this part of the story, good or bad.

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When Katherine found Remus she was somehow not very surprised to find her Uncle with him, nor was she perplexed by the apologetic look on her best friend's face. She sighed and walked up to them, looking at her Uncle, "No, don't tell me, just let me guess." She closed her eyes and held up her wrists face up, "Just get it over with, and remember if you really want to get all my blood it's side to side not up and down."

Remus looked abashed.

Her Uncle looked at her sympathetically, "I understand that you're a bit tired after today, but I'm afraid that I have bad news."

Katherine waved her hand in the air in a, "get it over with" gesture.

"I have been talking with your grandmother as well as some people from the ministry and aurors… and we believe it would be in your best interest if you weren't to go back to living in Dumbledore manor. We feel you would be much safer if kept in a safe house with aurors around to protect you since you have undoubtedly incurred the wrath of he-who-shall-not-be-named." Albus said, looking slightly apologetic himself.

Katherine just blinked for a moment, visions of practical imprisonment buzzing through her brain like some sort of demented slide show. She opened her mouth to say something… anything… when.

"However, Remus and I have been talking, and he believes that if you were willing that you would be just as safe if you were to move in with him and Sirius at the new Order of the Phoenix headquarters. There are plenty of rooms, and at least you would not have to live with strangers. Sirius and Remus both have experience fighting the dark arts, so you would be well protected." Albus smiled at her, "What do you think?"

Katherine looked from Albus to Remus.

Remus smiled at her, and for a moment the light of the crescent moon was behind him giving him an ethereal glow.

That was very appropriate at the moment, Katherine thought.

She then threw herself into Remus' arms and nuzzled into him, "Thank you!"

He was momentarily caught off guard by the embrace, but then smiled and wrapped his arms around her, "You're welcome, Katherine." He rested his chin on the top of her head.

Albus chuckled and said, "I'll leave you two alone for a bit." As he turned and walked away they could hear him say, "I believe I might ask one of the house elves for a bit of lemon cake…"

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"_This_ is what your family home looks like, and your family had the nerve to be prejudiced against muggles?" Katherine said, raising an eyebrow as she came through the door with a box in her arms.

Sirius shook his head, "Sorry, I haven't exactly had the inclination to have this shit hole fixed up recently. What with finally getting out of one jail I didn't really want to go back into another one."

She rolled her eyes, "Suck it up, Black. I've been living in the house my family was massacred in, and you don't hear me bitching about it."

He smirked, "Funny, that sounded oddly like bitching…"

She growled as she started up the stairs, "Oh, shut the fuck up."

"Hey, it's my house which means you don't get to tell me to shut up in it."

She turned and gave him a dark look.

"Or not…" He said, giving her an innocent smile.

"Hmph…" She said, making her way up the final steps. "So which room is it?"

"Down the hall, the last room on the right."

She took the directions and opened the door, sighing when she looked inside. "Okay, here's the deal. Since I have nothing better to do, I'm going to help you fix up this place. But I get to turn the basement into a potions lab."

Sirius put down the box and stood next to her, looking at the dilapidated room, "Deal."

----------------------------------------------

When Remus returned home that evening and found Sirius and Katherine in the kitchen, yelling at each other.

"Hey, it's not _my_ fault that all we have in the house is eggs, wilted lettuce, booze, and tea. I'm _trying_ to make the best of it, since we can't go to the market until tomorrow. So how do you want your eggs?" Katherine said, as if she'd asked that question about a million times; her hair sticking out every which way, looking like a small volcano eruption and her eyes blazing in anger. Remus noticed, studying her flushed cheeks and those blue eyes that the corner of Katherine's eye sort of twitched when she was angry.

"But I don't _like_ eggs!" Sirius whined, arms crossed and looking like a small child.

"I don't care what you like, it's not gruel and you're skinny enough already, so you're going to eat eggs whether you like it or not! It's only for one night, give me a break!"

"I know it's not gruel, but come on… you're a woman, plus you're supposed to be good with potions, so can't you just… mix a couple of things together and make a feast?"

Katherine gaped at him, then narrowed her eyes and said, "Alright, you want me to mix what we have together and make a feast? Fine." She turned and chopped up some of the wilted lettuce, and then threw it into a frying pan that had been sitting on the stovetop. Then she cracked some eggs into it and poured in some firewhisky, and stirred the mixture up. When she was satisfied with that she poured the gelatinous goop onto a plate and dropped it in front of Sirius, "There you go, bon apatite."

Sirius frowned at the plate, as if he could turn it into a steak on a whim.

Remus finally couldn't help himself, he chuckled and said, "Home sweet home."

Katherine immediately turned at the sound of his voice, and grinned, "Remus! You're home!"

Sirius gave him a half smile, "And just in time for dinner!"

Remus rolled his eyes and sat across from Sirius, "I'd like my eggs scrambled, please."

Katherine gave him a beautific smile and said, "Alright!' She immediately turned to fix him his eggs.

Sirius rolled his eyes, "I bet she'd fix something nice if _you_ asked her."

Remus just sighed slightly and said, "The only proper thing we have to eat in the house is eggs, Sirius. She'll go to the market tomorrow, but for tonight that's just the way it is."

Sirius rolled his eyes and started picking at his food.

Remus sat back and watched Katherine fix dinner, then he realized something, "Your mother hasn't interrupted us once."

Sirius shrugged, "Turns out Kitty and I can yell much louder and longer than she can. I suppose she eventually just got tired of being ignored and shut up."

Katherine turned around and glared at Sirius, "Stop calling me Kitty."

He smirked, "Yes, Kitty."

Katherine turned around and smacked Sirius across the back of his head.

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That night, the three of them were quietly reading in the study together. Well… Remus was reading, Sirius and Katherine were both asleep. Sirius had drunk a few glasses of firewhisky and fallen into a peaceful slumber on the easy chair while Katherine had snuggled up next to Remus and tried to read with him but just became too tired.

Of course, Remus was more occupied with the fact that in her sleep Katherine had laid down and curled up against his chest, nuzzling into his shirt contentedly. He smiled and reached down, gently stroking her cheek. She smiled and began making a noise he would have sworn was purring, raising his curiosity. He then rubbed over and behind her ears in gentle strokes, and she did in fact lean into his attentions like a contented cat. Remus couldn't repress a small laugh.

Katherine woke up slightly and smiled at him.

He smiled back affectionately, "Hello."

She gave him a contented smile, "Hello. I assume that you're the one who's been stroking me."

He chuckled, "Yes, and you've been the one purring at me."

"Have I?" She asked lazily, not seeming the least bit concerned as she sat up slightly to curl closer to his chest.

"Mhmm," He answered as he wrapped his arms around her to hold her closer.

She sighed happily and mumbled, "I like this much better than that… stupid… manor with… grandmother."

He gently ran fingers through her hair, "I'm glad to hear it."

She smiled into his torso, "Well, it's not really that much of a surprise now is it." She ventured a look up at him, giving him a full view of sleepy blue eyes, "I'm always happier with you."

He smiled at her and leaned down to gently kiss her forehead, mumbling against her skin, "Good. Now, go back to sleep."

She yawned and said, "Ok…" She snuggled back into her spot and sighed gently before quickly going back to sleep.

Remus smiled at her softly as he continued to run his fingers gently through her hair.

"You two make quite a pair," Remus heard Sirius say from across the room.

Startled, Remus looked over at his friend and frowned, "What do you mean?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Does she even know, Remus?"

"Know what?" Remus asked, stiffening slightly.

He gave Remus a look, "You know what."

Remus looked down at Katherine and continued running fingers through her hair, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Sirius sighed dramatically and stood up, bottle still in hand, "Sure you don't, mate. And I don't sneak dog biscuits when you're not looking."

Remus looked up at him and smirked, "I knew that was you."

Sirius just grunted and said, "I hope it doesn't take you two too long to get yourselves worked out, it's already annoyingly obvious."

Remus frowned again, "And what would you know about it?"

Sirius shook his head and began to leave, "Nothing, mate, nothing."


	36. Chapter 36

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this series. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please comment! I'd really like to know how you're feeling about this part of the story, good or bad.

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"This has to be the most filthy wall in England… well, one of them. The tower of London probably isn't springtime fresh either…" Katherine said, standing back and looking at the small circle of chipped light blue paint surrounded by disgusting dark grey filth.

"Oh, shut up…" Sirius said, staring at the same spot that she was. "We could cast a scourgify charm on it, but I doubt that it would work in this bitch of a house."

"It's ok… what do we have better to do than scrub the walls? Besides, this way we'll really feel as if we accomplished something… right? And you can't tell me that you don't like the process of scrubbing off all this Black waste from the house that you now find yourself forced to live in?"

Sirius just shrugged. Then, after a moment, he smiled, "Yeah… it does feel good."

"Who knows… maybe we'll eventually be able to find some charms to get rid of all the old curses in this house…"

"Or… I could have this place torn down and then take a piss on the ground."

She shrugged, "That too. Probably be better actually."

He smirked at her, "Are you actually agreeing with me."

"I prefer to think of it as indulging the former convict in his own house."

"So now you're indulging me?" He grinned.

She gave him a gentle whack against the back of his head with the scrub brush, "Shut the fuck up, Tramp."

"Hey, you can't tell me to shut the fuck up in my own house!" He said, obviously teasing.

"Oh, wah wah wah!" She laughed, shaking her head and putting the scrub brush in the bucket of cleaner, "Nobody feels sorry for you, ya dickhead."

"What was that about my dick?"

"Oh, will you just help me clean the damn wall? Honestly, what are you? Ten?"

"Yes, don't I look it?" He grabbed another scrub brush and dropped it in the mixture.

Katherine gave a long suffering sigh. "Why does everyone like you, again?"

"Because of my enduring charm and good looks?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"No… no… can't be that…" She smirked but made sure to face the wall.

"Oh, that hurts!" He laughed, "And why does everyone like you again?"

"Mass delusion?"

"Well, at least you admit it…"

"But of course!"

He sighed, "This is going to take all day…"

"No shit, Sherlock."

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"Miss Dumbledore?" She heard a familiar voice behind her as she gently stirred stew.

Katherine turned and smiled, "Hello Harry, what brings you over?"

"I came to see Sirius. Are you… are you two a _couple_?" He asked excitedly.

Katherine laughed, "Me and _Sirius_? Harry, you didn't happen to sniff some noxious fumes on your way over here?"

He gave her a look.

She put her hand on her hip, "Frankly, my darling, I'd rather shag professor Flitwick."

"Ew! I didn't need that image!" Harry said, looking as if he'd just eaten a gigantic green goo filled bug.

"Well, I didn't need the image of…" She shuddered, "I can't even finish that. Gross, just gross."

Harry gave her a baleful look.

"**Sirius! Come get your godson before I break my rule of no arguing with children!**"

"I'm not a child!"

"Oh, you so are."

"Am not!"

"What did I just say?" She asked, glaring at him.

Harry growled.

Sirius came in, chuckling. He wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders, "Come on Harry, before she has a temper tantrum and you really get a show…"

"I'm spitting in your food for that!" Katherine yelled after him.

"Yeah, yeah, what else is new?" Sirius yelled back.

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"Hello Katherine," Remus said, coming up behind her.

"Remus!" Katherine spun on her heel and embraced him.

He hugged her back and chuckled, "Nice to see you to… uh… what did Sirius do this time?"

Katherine pointed into the sitting room.

Remus went in and saw Sirius apparently having a burping contest of some kind with Harry.

Remus just shook his head and went into the kitchen, "So what are we having for dinner?"

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The four of them were having dinner and Remus asked, "So Harry, how is your schooling going?"

Harry groaned, "We have this new Defense teacher, Professor Umbridge. She's pure evil, I swear."

"Oh, she can't be _that_ bad Harry." Remus said.

"That's what I said," Sirius said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "Apparently, she can be."

Katherine raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Potter, don't you also think that Professor Snape, Mr. Malfoy, … in fact… don't you think that every Slytherin is pure evil? Is Professor Umbridge a Slytherin, Mr. Potter?"

"It's not like that!" Harry whined.

"So what does Professor Umbridge do that makes her pure evil, Mr. Potter?"

"She just _is_ evil, she really is!" He was giving her the puppy eyes.

Katherine snorted, "I'll believe it when I see it."

"So, you'll come to Hogwarts and see?" He asked excitedly. Harry looked at Sirius, "Will you come too?"

Sirius nodded.

Harry looked at Remus.

Remus shrugged.

Katherine rolled her eyes, "I'll think about it Harry. But I don't believe that this professor is pure evil for one moment."

"You will, when you see her. I promise…"

Katherine held up her hand, "I'll believe it when I see it. Till then, I don't want to hear another word about it."

Harry crossed his arms, "You were a lot more fun when you were a professor."

"No I wasn't, I just gave you more candy." Katherine said simply, sipping her tea.

"Do you have any more candy?" He asked hopefully.

"Eat your dinner first…" Katherine said, giving him a look.

Harry grinned and began eating more quickly.


	37. Chapter 37

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor am I making any profit off of this series. However, I will do my best to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please comment! I'd really like to know how you're feeling about this part of the story, good or bad.

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Sirius sat down and sighed, glaring at the wooden floor, "You know I'm gaining a new respect for that Cinderella woman…"

Katherine laughed, "Now where did that come from?"

He shrugged, "I snuck out one night and went to the cinema; they were playing a Disney film festival."

She shook her head, "I should have guessed."

"Yes, you should have." He said in a mock haughty voice.

Katherine blinked in surprise for a moment, and then laughed heartily.

Sirius began chuckling along and before long he was laughing just as hard.

"Ow, ow… note to self, no laughing after scrubbing floors all day." Katherine gasped/laughed, holding her sides.

Sirius nodded, holding his sides as well.

She looked up at the ceiling and frowned, "You know… we should probably wash those as well… beats me how, though."

"Maybe we could get a ladder?" He suggested, laying on his back with his hands folded over his stomach.

"Yeah… not today though."

He shook his head, "No, not today."

"I think making these ratty looking floors shine should be enough work for anyone."

"Agreed."

She sighed and closed her eyes, "I should probably start dinner."

He nodded, closing his eyes as well, "Probably."

"Mhmm…" Katherine drifted off to sleep, with Sirius following in suit.

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"Should I even ask?" Katherine heard Remus' voice in the darkness.

She opened her eyes and smiled tiredly, "Remus…" She lifted up her arms in greeting.

He smiled and came over to help her up.

She grinned at Remus and said, "Hello."

He grinned back, "Hello."

"Hey, what about me?" Sirius asked from the floor.

"What about you?" Katherine asked playfully, snuggling happily into Remus' arms

Sirius huffed but got up by himself and smirked, "You just like her better because she has breasts."

Remus frowned.

Katherine frowned and kicked Sirius in the shin.

"Ow!" He said, jumping a bit and then narrowing his eyes at her, "You're a piece of work, Kitty."

She rolled her eyes, "And you're not?" She looked at Remus and batted her eyes, "I wasn't able to fix dinner, do you want to come get takeaway with me?"

He smiled and said, "Of course. What would you like?"

She shrugged, "Whatever's closest?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "You are aware there are people who eat bugs around, right?"

Katherine blinked and then frowned, "I highly doubt there are any bug cafes around here, Sirius. And if there were, I wouldn't go there."

He smiled and shrugged, "Just letting you know…"

Remus sighed, "Can't you two stop bickering for even a minute?"

"No," They said in unison.

"Thought so…" He said, shaking his head and leading Katherine out the door.

----------------------------------------------------------

Her Uncle Albus invited Katherine to tea and so she decided to accept and see if Harry's claims were true. Just in case they were, she decided to play it safe and wear a dress. Of course, this required going out shopping with Sirius and she swore that she'd never make that mistake again; although she had to admit that Sirius running around and suggesting lingerie to go with her dress choices was a good distraction from the fact that she was in a crowd of adult non-muggles.

She especially liked what happened afterwards; she got an odd thrill from seeing the look on Remus' face when she told him about Sirius' behavior (she'd never seen him glare like that before), and then Sirius got this weird look on his face and commented on how "What? I thought that it would be a nice gesture…"

Remus had glared even deeper and Sirius had grinned, "As if Kitty in sexy underwear could be anything but a good thing…"

At that, Katherine had intervened and grabbed a book to smack him with and chased him into his bedroom where he stayed for the rest of the night. That was her favorite part since it included: threatening Sirius with bodily violence, Sirius going away, and this way leaving Remus and Katherine in peace for the rest of the night… much cuddling and conversation ensued.

So by the time she had to go to tea the next afternoon she was relatively comfortable, at least enough to not immediately go into Hogwarts annoyed.

When she got to her uncle's office he immediately called her in, and she found not only her uncle but what looked to be… a… pale… pastel wearing… toad? Had her uncle been conducting experiments of some kind? Should she call the humane society?

Albus smiled at her and said, "Hello Katherine! I don't believe you've met Professor Umbridge."

The toad smiled at her and said, "Hello Miss Dumbledore, your uncle has told me a great deal about you."

Katherine gave the toad a polite smile in greeting and thought 'So far so good I suppose…' before saying, "Oh, I hope you aren't one to listen to such gossip Professor Umbridge."

"He speaks very highly of you!" She said, seeming a bit surprised.

"Precisely," Katherine joked.

Professor Umbridge smirked at her and said, "Well, at least I know the rumors of your humor are true. I hear that you were a professor here a few years ago?"

Katherine nodded, "Yes, I taught philosophy."

Umbridge raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you a little… young for such a position?"

Katherine shrugged, "My uncle believed that I was worthy of the position."

Umbridge got an evil look in her eyes, "And did I hear correctly that the reason you are no longer employed at Hogwarts is because after Christmas holiday you were committed to St. Mungo's mental ward?"

Katherine went slightly pale, "It wasn't quite as simple as all that…"

Umbridge stepped closer, "Oh? Then do feel free to explain."

Katherine narrowed her eyes, "I would very much like to know how that is any of your business."

Umbridge crossed her arms, "I have been sent here to monitor Hogwarts, and all of its recent history now concerns me. Tell me; during your little _episode_ you didn't happen to harm any children did you?"

Katherine gaped at her, "Pardon?"

"It doesn't say you did in any records, but just to be sure… Also, were you aware that you are currently under suspicion of being involved in Death Eater activity?"

Katherine blinked, "Pardon?"

Albus gave her a sad look.

Umbridge smirked, "So you weren't aware? Exactly what else did you think would happen from the little sister of one of the most active Death Eaters suddenly knowing an unusual amount about their activity?"

Katherine blinked again.

"Have you heard from your brother, Miss Dumbledore? I would be surprised if you hadn't, all reports say that you two were close." Umbridge looked smug.

Suddenly, it was as if Katherine snapped back into her body… and her first action upon returning was to be very, very upset. She clenched her fists and said, "You are aware that my brother killed my parents, Professor Umbridge? Or did that slip through your research?"

"I had heard as much…"

"Furthermore, did it _also_ slip through your notice that every action I have taken in response to any death eater activity I had knowledge of has been to stop their actions and protect the children of Hogwarts?" Katherine narrowed her eyes at the toad.

"Yes, but…"

"And I have never sought any sort of publicity for any of my actions; nor has there ever been any report of suspicious activity on my part at any other time. Also, to answer your question, no… I would never harm a child. I care about my former students a great deal and if you will look at my record I did nothing to threaten them, or anyone else for that matter."

Umbridge was only able to open her mouth.

Katherine stepped up to her and growled, "I am not sure what you sought to accomplish from this little… talk, but I assure you that you are not going to back me into any sort of corner. I am a Dumbledore, and although we may not be known for being normal most every one of us is known for doing what is right; I am no exception. So the next time you want to accuse me of anything I suggest you do it in court with a great deal of evidence, else I might not take it so politely next time. Good day Professor Umbridge."

Katherine looked at her uncle and glared, "Good day Uncle."

He nodded to her.

With that, Katherine left without another word.


	38. Chapter 38

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to JK Rowling (although I do own my OCs!) Nor am I making any money off of this series. I will, however, try to portray them to the best of my ability.

Please, please comment! It's the only way I can know how you feel about my story!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Katherine slammed the door on her way inside Grimmauld Place, still seething. "Bloody bitch from hell… like to…" She mumbled dangerously, ignoring the bitch in the painting screaming at her.

Sirius came out of the sitting room and raised his eyebrows, "Something wrong, kitten?"

She pointed and narrowed her eyes, "Umbridge _is_ a bitch! An evil, wicked bitch! Harry has my full support for… whatever! And if he wants some poison to use on her he _bloody well knows where to find me_!" She snorted and then straightened out her dress before giving him a cold look, "Other than that, I don't want to talk to _you_ right now." With that, she went upstairs and slammed the door to her room.

He shook his head, "Merlin… glad I'm not Umbridge, even _I_ don't piss her off _that_ bad." He whistled and then went back to what he'd been doing before Katherine had come in spewing piss and vinegar.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

When Remus came in he was in a relatively good mood until after five minutes he realized that he was still Katherine-less. There'd been no hugs, no "Remus!", nothing even remotely like what Katherine (and himself) had recently deemed an appropriate greeting.

He went into the sitting room and asked Sirius, "Did Katherine have to go out or something?"

Sirius shook his head, "No, she came in earlier and had a fit before going into her room; hasn't been out since. Why?"

Remus paled slightly, "And you haven't checked on her?"

"Hell no! I'm not _that_ stupid!" He said, looking offended.

Remus ground his teeth, "Did it ever _occur_ to you that she might be having some sort of relapse? She's been under constant supervision until recently because she wasn't trusted not to hurt herself, and when she comes in having an emotional fit you just leave her alone!"

Sirius' eyebrows came together in concern, "When you put it like that it does sound rather bad, doesn't it?"

"Argh!" Remus screamed, throwing up his hands before running up the stairs.

Remus opened up the door to see that it was dark in Katherine's room. His heart sped up with worry and he quietly asked the darkness, "Katherine? Katherine are you in here?"

After a moment he finally heard, "I'm in here, Remus."

Remus lit the fireplace to find Katherine sitting on her bed with her arms around her knees, looking lost in thought.

A chill ran down Remus' spine and he gently asked, "Are you alright?"

She shook her head and buried her face in her legs, "Did you know that I'm under suspicion of being a Death Eater?"

He frowned and gently sat next to her on the bed, not sure how safe it was to touch her at the moment, "I had heard rumors to that effect."

She gave him a hurt look, "And you didn't _tell_ me?"

He sighed, "I didn't see the point in getting you worried over nothing. There is absolutely no evidence that you are a Death Eater, including the fact that you don't have the dark mark on your arm, and Albus Dumbledore is your uncle and will vouch for you. I didn't see the harm in letting this pass by."

She sighed and shook her head, "It's not going to pass by, Remus. Things like this… they're likely to grow. I don't know what I'm going to do if they actually try and accuse me. I barely even exist in England, or anywhere else for that matter, how am I going to prove I haven't been doing anything wrong from the time my brother… my brother joined you-know-who to now?"

He frowned and put his arm around her shoulders, "If and when that time comes, we'll figure out something."

She looked up at him, her blue eyes big and hopeful, "We?"

He smiled softly, "Of course, we." He brushed some hair out of her face, "You're not going to be alone ever again, Katherine. I promise."

She gave him a half smile and rested her head on his shoulder, "That's not really something that you can promise, Remus."

He chuckled slightly and rested a hand on her head, "Well, I promise as long as I'm around you won't be alone. Better?"

She gave a small, but real, smile, "Much better." She turned her head and gently kissed his shoulder.

He ran his fingers through her hair and quietly asked, "So who told you about that, anyway?"

"Umbridge, she seemed very keen on letting me know that she believes I'm a piece of shit."

He snorted, "Well, it takes one to know one."

She pulled away and looked up at him, wide eyed, "Remus!"

He raised an eyebrow, "What?"

She put a hand over her mouth, smiling just a little bit, "That may be the first time I've ever heard you genuinely insult someone!"

He shrugged, "I've never found being a saint in my job description."

She snorted, "Well, you've seemed dead set on filling the role anyway since I've known you."

"And I would like to think I don't have to when around my best friend," He put his forehead on hers.

She smiled and reached up to smooth her thumb across his cheek bone, "Of course not. Your secret's safe with me."

He smiled, "Good."

For a moment they just sat there, foreheads against one another's, looking into the other's eyes.

Remus' skin felt good against hers, not quite smooth but not rough either, and his warm breath against hers was soothing. She wondered why she'd never noticed that amongst the gold in his eyes there were some small specks of silver (kind of like his hair) or that he smelled like sage and warm bread. And he had the nicest lines around his eyes too; they kind of reminded her of the Lucinda Williams song that her Momma used to play in the car:

_But there's a little thing that drives me wild_  
_Something that happens every time you smile  
I can't get over the lines around your eyes  
Lines around your eyes every time you smile_

She reached up and curled some of his tawny hair around her finger.

_I still couldn't get you off of my mind  
Cause I can't get over the lines around your eyes  
Lines around your eyes every__ time you smile  
And the way you touch me darlin' just drives me wild_

"Katherine…" Remus started, sounding hesitant.

"Hmm?" Katherine asked, looking into his eyes again.

_  
Sometimes I don't know what we're fightin' about_

"There's something… something I should probably talk to you about…" He still didn't move away, but he wasn't looking in her eyes anymore either.

She cupped her hand on his cheek, trying to make him look at her, "Which is?"

_  
But that don't mean we can't work things out_

"I…" He took a deep breath and looked at her, then words seemed to be lost and time itself seemed to stop.

Katherine held her breath.

Remus leaned a bit closer, and Katherine's heart sped up just a little.

_  
Cause I love you darlin' and the lines around your eyes_

She could feel Remus' breath on her lips, and closed her eyes.

"Hey! Is everything alright… in… here? Should I leave you two alone?" Sirius had started out sounding concerned, but then his voice took on a rather perverted tone that neither liked very much.

Remus and Katherine both pulled away from one another, reluctantly, and looked at him.

Remus shook his head, "No… everything's alright Sirius. Thank you for coming up to check."

Sirius grinned and crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe, "No problem."

Katherine looked at Remus.

Remus looked at Katherine.

Katherine cleared her throat and said, "I should probably start dinner."

Remus nodded, "That would be nice…"

Katherine nodded, got up off of the bed, and left the room.

Remus sighed and got up off of the bed to follow her out of the room. But when he was in the hallway he found himself just watching after her, longing for the lost moment between them.

Sirius gave him a look, "You know… you could have just told me to sod off, mate."

Remus gave him a look and growled, "Sod off, Sirius." Before following after Katherine.

----------------------------------------------------

It was the second full moon since she'd been living with Remus and Sirius. Severus had already come and Remus had taken his wolfsbane potion. Now Remus was all alone, locked in his room, for the duration of the night and transformation.

Sirius had told her that it wasn't a good idea to try and keep Remus company during the transformation. He'd said that they used to spend every transformation together when in school together, but now Remus didn't want him anywhere near him during the time. Therefore, he doubted Katherine would be much welcome either.

But all Katherine could think about was Remus… her Remus… having to go through all that pain (before and after the transformation) alone and without anyone to help him. How boring must it be, locked in that room with nothing to do? Not even his animalistic mind to keep him occupied?

Katherine didn't think he much liked it at all.

But she stayed in the sitting room, even after Sirius had gone to bed, until sunrise.

Then she picked up some things she'd brewed in her lab the week before and went up to Remus' room.

She cast an unlocking charm on the door and walked inside gently to find Remus sprawled out on the cold floor, naked.

Katherine frowned and closed the door, laying the bag down, and went over to Remus. She gently helped him up and to his bed, which he relaxed in with a sleepy sigh. She then got the bag and pulled out a dreamless sleep potion and lifted his head up gently and made him drink it. Afterwards she went back and filled up a small water basin (he'd told her before it was to wash up after the transformations) and then put it on the bed table. She poured some dried and crushed golden seal root into the water and dipped a soft cloth in the mixture before gently cleaning his skin with it (attempting not to feel awkward about it and skipping various parts). Then she got out an ointment that was supposed to relax sore muscles and rubbed it into his arms, hands, legs, feet, back, chest, and neck (the rest of his parts were on their own).

When that was all done she covered him up with his blankets and quickly poured the mixture out of the basin and washed it out before setting it back in place. Then she put all her things back in the bag and left the room as if nothing had happened.

Remus wasn't going to be alone ever again, either.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remus woke up the morning after his transformation feeling better than he ever imagined he could after his monthly ordeal. He felt warm, relaxed, and comfortable.

Wait a second…

He looked down to see that not only was he in his own bed and not on the floor (his usual flopping spot after he transformed back into a man) but he was also tucked in underneath his sheet and quilt. Not only that, but his muscles really _did_ feel awfully relaxed and he seemed well rested (something he really shouldn't be after the full moon) and he smelled like… mint?

He got up and stretched, noticing that the cuts on his arms were clean and already starting to heal, and began to get more than a little unnerved. What the hell had happened this morning?

He got dressed and went downstairs, finding Katherine and Sirius eating lunch together and arguing (as usual).

When they heard him come in Katherine looked up at him and gave him an… awkward?... smile. "Hello Remus, are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, you slept like the dead! I was beginning to get worried," Sirius said, his look of concern belying his casual tone.

Remus nodded, "Yes… I'm feeling quite alright. Thank you."

Katherine nodded and quickly went back to her eggs.

Sirius blinked and said, "Really? Come to think of it, you're not as pale as you usually are after the full moon."

Remus nodded once again, "Yes… this time… this time something seems to have been different." He looked over at Katherine, who didn't look up at him, and his mental wheels began to turn. "How was your night, Katherine?"

She shrugged, "More or less the usual."

Remus narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "You hadn't gone to bed even after 1am when I did, how is that the usual."

"I _said_ more or less, didn't I?" Katherine growled, giving Sirius a dangerous look.

"Now children, don't fight. It was just a question." Remus said, pouring himself some tea. He looked over at Katherine again and saw that she looked… rather guilty. "Interesting…" He thought.


	39. Chapter 39

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world, they belong to JK Rowling (I _do_ own the OCs though!) Nor am I making any money off of this series. However, I will try to portray them to the best of my ability.

Please, please review! It's the only way I can know how you feel about my story!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Katherine wasn't sure what sort of dress code there was for a meeting of the _order of the phoenix_, but she hoped that grey trousers and a light blue button down shirt would do for the occasion. She had no idea _why_ or _how_ she was a member of the order, but her Uncle assured her that she was and that it was very important that she attend the meeting and not just lock herself in her potions lab like she did during the first meeting. So, once again, Katherine was allowing her life to be dictated by that senile old git. Would wonders never cease?

She looked at her collection of shoes and wondered which ones she should wear. It's not like she had a vast array of them: a few pairs of boots, a brown and black pair of loafers, some Birkenstocks, a pair of high heels, and… her slippers. Oh… and some sneakers… but those were as inappropriate as her slippers, she believed. So… loafers it was… probably the black ones. Yes, the black ones.

C.B. flew into the room and landed on Katherine's head and hooted in greeting.

Katherine grinned and reached up to stroke his soft down feathers, "Hello my darling! Did you get lonesome?"

C.B. cooed in agreement.

"Kitty, are you ready for the meeting _yet_?" Sirius asked, poking his head in the doorway. When he saw C.B. he narrowed his eyes at his nemesis.

C.B. spread out and hissed at him.

"It's so creepy that your stupid owl hisses…" He said peevishly.

Katherine narrowed her eyes and said, "And it's creepy how you're a middle aged man that still has to have room mates."

Sirius flicked her off.

Katherine returned the gesture.

Sirius rolled his eyes and went back downstairs.

Remus came up behind him, chuckling. "It's amazing that you get anything done between your bickering sessions."

Katherine huffed, "Must you go on and on about that? Don't you have any other material, Remus?" She smiled at him and chuckled.

C.B. hooted and flew off to rest on Remus' shoulder.

Remus laughed and scratched him behind the ears.

Katherine grinned, "Why, C.B. since when are you not my devoted slave?"

C.B. cooed at her.

Remus chuckled and shook his head, "I have known him since he picked you out, Katherine. Maybe he's finally decided to like me?"

Katherine smiled, "Maybe. Here, come on C.B.! We've got to go to the Order meeting and unless you want to hang out with Fawkes or something I'll feed you while it's going on."

C.B. hooted and went down without her.

Remus looked after him and smiled.

Katherine came up to him and they naturally took one another's hand.

Remus smiled down at her, "We should probably get downstairs before Albus decides you've locked yourself in your lab again."

Katherine groaned, "Oh, if only! I'm really not entirely sure I'm ready for all of this."

Remus gave her a sympathetic smile and wrapped his arm comfortingly around her shoulders, "You'll be just fine, and I'll be right next to you the whole time so there's no need to worry."

Katherine nodded and snuggled into his side, "That's true, I suppose." She sighed, "As long as you're there."

He tightened his hold on her just slightly.

"You know… Uncle Albus had me send some potions to this potions master in London or something… and he's sent me more books. He also sent me a list."

"A list?"

"Yes, of different potions that he wants me to send. Most of it is stuff that I already know how to do, like skele-grow and pepper-up potion... some wart remover potions… things that are relatively easy but every potion maker needs to know. Other stuff I have to learn from the book, one of them is vertiserum! Can you believe it?"

Remus gave a conflicted smile, "Katherine… why is he asking you for these potions?"

"That's what I'm asking Albus tonight… and why I'm going to ask Professor Snape if the potion books are legitimate." Katherine said, raising an eyebrow.

Remus smiled and chuckled, "Remind me not to underestimate you."

Katherine sniffed, "I will. I might be crazy, but I'm not stupid."

"I know," Remus kissed her on the temple.

"Would you mind suspending your mating ritual until I am out of the general area?" They heard a familiar snarl.

Katherine turned and raised an eyebrow, "Professor Snape, nobody is making you stand there watching our _mating ritual_ so if you find yourself watching it then it's no one else's fault except your own."

He narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Are you insinuating that I'm some sort of voyeur?"

"I'm insinuating that what Remus and I do in our own house is none of your business, and that nobody is making you pay attention except for yourself so there's no reason for you to crab at us about it." Katherine narrowed her eyes and pulled Remus gently down the rest of the stairs, "Come on, Remus."

He smiled, "Alright Katherine. See you inside, Severus."

Severus glared after them.

When they got inside they saw Sirius embracing a… a… "Remus… is something wrong with my vision, or does that person have fuchsia coloured hair?" Katherine asked, tilting her head.

"I believe… it… is…" Remus said, sounding just as confused.

Sirius and the fuchsia haired creature came up, smiling. When Katherine saw the pink monstrosity she supposed that it was a girl… an apparently colorblind girl, but still a girl. "This is my cousin, Nymphadora Tonks. She's an auror now, isn't that great?"

Remus and Katherine smiled.

"That's very nice, Miss Tonks, I'm sure you're very proud." Remus said kindly, smiling at the girl.

Nymphadora Tonks grinned and batted her eyes at him, beginning to… was she _leaning_… towards him and taking his hand. "Oh yes, I'm very proud…"

"Remus Lupin."

She absolutely _beamed_ at Remus, "Remus Lupin… but please, call me Tonks."

"Tonks? Not Nymphadora? I thought it was appropriate to call someone by their first name when seeking familiarity." Katherine said snippily.

Tonks turned and gave her a look, "I hate my first name, I always go by Tonks."

A slow, evil smile spread across Katherine's face. "Oh, but _why_? I think Nymphadora is an absolutely _lovely_ name!"

"And _who_ are _you_?" Tonks asked, narrowing her eyes.

Katherine held out her hand elegantly, "Katherine Dumbledore, very pleased to meet you Nymphie."

She hesitated, but eventually Tonks took her hand, "Nice to meet you, Katherine."

Katherine giggled, "Oh please, call me Miss Dumbledore."

"Well I'll have to ask you not to call me _Nymphie_, _Miss Dumbledore_." Tonks growled.

"I am an adult, I'll call you whatever I wish." Katherine hissed.

"Fine then, Kitty Kat."

Katherine narrowed her eyes at Tonks.

Tonks narrowed her eyes at Katherine.

Remus laughed uncomfortably and tugged on Katherine's arm, "Come on, Katherine. Let's sit down before the meeting starts. Maybe you could tell me more about this new potions arrangement?"

Katherine never took her eyes off of Tonks but allowed herself to be led, "Alright, Remus. Yes, let's sit down."

-----------------------------------------------------------

All through the meeting Katherine and Tonks relayed between listening to what was going on in the meeting and giving death glares to one another. In fact, not ten minutes in the entire meeting went without the two looking at one another as if they were going to jump on the table and kill one another there and then. Some of the men in the room were very distracted by the two young women's apparently oncoming fight (and not for the reasons of etiquette) and others (particularly Remus, Severus, and Sirius) were watching carefully so that they could intercede if the two actually decided that they _did_ want to kill one another.

Overall, it was one of the least productive meetings that the Order had ever seen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

"Honestly! The two of you are worse than Professor Snape and Mr. Black!" Albus roared at Tonks and Katherine after the rest of the order had left the room.

Tonks was shuffling around like a schoolgirl, looking quite guilty.

Katherine just crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes defiantly.

Albus narrowed his eyes at her.

"I am not your student, Uncle Albus. What do you expect me to do? Start sobbing like an infant? You want me to play nice with pinky here, then fine! I don't even give a shit about the little whelp!" Katherine hissed.

"Then why did you start hissing at me?" Tonks screamed.

"Because your existence offends me!" Katherine roared at her.

"Then how can you not give a shit about me, huh?" Tonks asked snottily.

"Why you!" Katherine got out her wand.

Tonks returned the gesture.

"Girls! That… is… _enough_!" He roared at them again. He pulled Katherine to his side and put an arm around her neck.

Katherine growled.

"You will both try and make friends! I don't know what happened between you to get you into such a state but I want it to end, now!" Albus glared down at his niece and then over to Tonks.

"I'll do it if she will," Tonks grumbled.

Katherine narrowed her eyes, "If she behaves herself I suppose it would be alright."

Albus smiled, "There we go! That will do to be going on with." He let go of Katherine's neck.

Katherine smiled and went up to Tonks, "You must be tired, here… let me show you out."

"Okay…" Tonks said suspiciously.

Katherine pleasantly led Tonks to the door and opened it saying, "Have a good night, sorry for all the trouble..."

Tonks went out smiling and saying, "Oh, it's alright. Don't worry, I've _heard_ about you." Tonks smirked at her.

Katherine grinned and said, "Oh really? Then you're probably suspecting this…" She kicked her in the stomach, making her fall on her ass. "Nymphie!" With that, she slammed the door and bolted it locked.

When she turned around, she was surprised to see Severus behind her… smirking. "Quite the show you and Miss Tonks put on tonight."

Katherine sighed and leaned against the door, all the anger gently ebbing away now that Tonks was gone. "I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me."

Severus huffed, "I'm sure." He dusted off an imaginary fleck of dust from his arm, "Lupin told me that you wanted to verify some sort of potions manual with me?"

"Oh, yes!" Katherine smiled at the offer of a more pleasant subject (and company). "It's in my lab… you haven't seen my lab! Come on, I'm sure you'll approve." She started towards the cellar door.

Severus turned elegantly and followed her.


	40. Chapter 40

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J.K. Rowling (although all my original characters belong to me!) Nor am I making any profit from this story. However, I will attempt to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please comment! It is the only way I can know how you feel about my story.

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Katherine didn't like the look she could feel Severus giving her against her back. If her memories served her correctly, it was a mixture of the look he gave her just before he gave her hell and the look he gave her when he was amused; if she were any other person on earth she might believe him the only person capable of mixing the two emotions, except that she was capable of such a feat herself. For a while she merely ignored him and looked around her pile of potions books to find her new one, she had been experimenting again today and so her book table was littered with various themed potions which made finding the relatively thin and innocuous looking book difficult at the moment.

When she finally found the book she continued to ignore Severus' mood and said, "I know some of the potions already, and these recipes seem alright. But there are more rare ones that I still don't have enough experience to even guess at the validity of so I was hoping you might check it out to make sure I won't be making a poison when I think I'm making a healing draught." 

She looked up and saw Severus cross his arms and give her a meaningful glare.

"If you have any intention of chiding me about my behavior towards Nymphie tonight I will have to ask you to please stuff it. You've been a right, impersonal git for… well, practically all the time since I've met you; not to mention the fact that in a small, almost imaginary way you're my ex and I probably shouldn't even be speaking to you if we were to decide to go into _that_ area. Altogether it is not your place to nag me and tell me how wrong I am, or give me unsolicited advice. You threw that card out the window long ago, and if you want to get _back_ to that place in our relationship then I suggest you start with what I'm offering you now because if you go _there_ at this moment I can promise you that you'll just piss me off and I know how much you dislike wasting your time and energy." She reached the opened book towards him.

He gave her a long look and then went back to his normal self and took the book and assessed it. After a moment of flipping pages and reading at an incredible pace he handed the book back to her, "Everything seems to be in order. If you have any questions about these potions you may floo me; the last thing we all need is for you to blow up the Order headquarters."

She smiled, "Thank you, Professor Snape."

He glared at her, "Bloody hell, woman! If your damned werewolf feels the necessity to call me by my given name when I can't stand the man, the least you can do is call me that as well. How do you think it looks when one of the few people whose company I do not loath refers to me as if I am a vague acquaintance?"

Katherine smiled at him, "Then you shall have to practice calling me Katherine, won't you?"

"Indeed," He sniffed. "Now, if you don't mind, I have papers to grade at Hogwarts."

She put a hand to her chest and gave a dramatic sigh, "Oh dear! You poor, poor man!"

He snorted, "Don't start."

She smirked.

With that, he bowed his head in dismissal and left her lab.

She chuckled and tidied things up before going upstairs to face the music.

-----------------------------------------------------------

She wondered if Remus knew he was wonderful when angry.

"It's all well and good to do that in front of Sirius and me, but to do it in front of order members who still aren't sure why you should be allowed here…"

So sensible, and his eyes flashed brilliantly too. The firelight always did wonders for the man, but now…

"What would even set you off like that about Nymphadora? She hadn't done anything at all to you when you started that…"

Damn, but he was oblivious sometimes though. Did he not notice how annoying that florescent little floozy was? It wasn't as if she didn't know him well enough to know perfectly well that he disliked certain people just like the rest of creation.

"I just want what's best for you, you know that… right?" He looked at her, eyes wide and pleading.

She swallowed hard and felt her heart clutch. "Yes… you're the only person that I really believe wants what's best for me. The only person I trust completely. You know that, Remus."

He sighed and sat down in front of her, taking her hand, "Then will you please at least _attempt_ to be civil to the woman at order meetings? You don't have to be nice, I wouldn't even mind if you argue with her like Sirius and Snape do… just don't act like a bloody barbarian like you did tonight, Katherine. Please? For me?"

Katherine sighed, closed her eyes, and then looked at him with reluctant fondness. "That's a low blow, and you know it… cheater."

He smiled at her.

She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, "For you… anything. Damn it."

He grinned and sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

She snuggled into him and sighed as she was enveloped in his pleasant scent. "Just don't expect me to like it…" She growled just for effect, before giving into the warmth and calm Remus' close proximity gave her.

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head, "Noted." He rubbed her arm gently and watched as she slid into one of her naps.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

"For a while we lived in a small town just outside of Columbus. It was a pretty little town and I loved it there. I could walk almost anywhere I wanted to go, and spent a lot of time at the library there. It wasn't much of a library, though I didn't think so then, but it had a gigantic children's book section (it took up the entire basement!) that was colored this pretty shade of light blue and had things like butterflies and flowers painted on the walls so that you felt like you were playing in a garden. Since it was still a library I was usually one of the only people there, and they had this magnificent little room that had wood paneling and was filled with stuffed animals and pillows, and had one of those swinging doors that you see in stables on the telly… do you know what I mean?" Katherine asked, looking up from her potion to where he was sitting on one of the counters. He smiled and nodded in affirmation so she smiled back and went on. "They called it pooh corner and I used so spend hours in there snuggled up in that soft place and reading books. It felt like the safest place in the world…" _Until I met you_, she thought. "And sometimes I would go upstairs to where all the videos and encyclopedias were… not to mention the grown up books that I wasn't allowed to check out at that age even if they weren't sexual or anything. I don't know _why_, I assume it was because it was a small town and they didn't think it was proper. But I liked it up there because it looked really elegant there, and I thought it was so big and wonderful that I couldn't decide which floor I liked better." She smiled and shook her head, then frowned and looked over at him. "This can't honestly be that interesting to you?"

He grinned at her and said, "I would hardly have prodded you to tell me something about your childhood in the States if I didn't want to know."

"Yes but… what does it matter now?" She tilted her head in confusion.

He sighed and looked at her seriously, "Because sometimes I'm afraid that Dumbledore putting all your old memories back might have made you feel separated from the person you were when I first met you. You're not just Katherine Dumbledore's history, or Katherine Tingstrom's history, or even what has happened to you since you came back. All of it is what has created the person you are now, and you have enough problems with your identity as it is without forgetting that. You're Katherine, no matter what happens and no matter what your name is." He smiled, "And I just kind of wanted you to acknowledge something from that period so that you would remember that." He got that look on his face that always used to make her want to run out of the room when they were teaching together, "Not to mention the fact that I liked seeing you smile like you did while talking about that library."

She blushed and turned away, hiding her shy smile. Quite honestly, she wanted to kick herself for not recognizing the feeling she'd always had when he got like that for what it really was… or at least… not acknowledging it to herself. "You're much too good to me, Remus." She said quietly.

He got up and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head against hers, "Nonsense." He watched her work for a moment, "Are you going to be able to fill his order for this week in time?"

"I should be able too, though it's not going to be easy." She smiled into the bubbling cauldron that's potion was precisely the right colour and consistency, "I don't mind though. It sure as hell beats… drifting, as I was before I came to live here."

Remus frowned and said, "Yes, I should think so."

"Do you know if Sirius has come back with the floor polish yet? He left about… uhm… a while ago." Katherine asked as she stirred the potion in the opposite direction as needed.

He laughed, "It was four hours ago, and no I haven't heard him come back yet."

She sighed, "That stupid man… can't even do a simple… I suppose I don't care as long as he hasn't gotten pissed and started marking his territory throughout London."

He chuckled weakly and said, "That's rather Snape-like of you to make a dog joke at his expense, Katherine." His voice seemed natural but his arms around her waist tightened just slightly.

"Well, I've never been one to let a good idea go to waste. Besides, that was the least insulting thing I could muster at the moment. Hand me those pickled snake eyes, would you dear?" Now it was her turn to stiffen, and she turned slightly to see if he'd noticed what she said.

His eyes got a bit wider but he nodded and reached for the jar, "Of course." When she had it and was back to stirring the potion he rested his head on her shoulder, body more relaxed now.


	41. Chapter 41

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J.K. Rowling (although all my original characters belong to me!) Nor am I making any profit from this story. However, I will attempt to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please comment! It is the only way I can know how you feel about my story.

--

Katherine had finished the order a few hours ago, just in time, and sent it on it's way. She was glad it had taken her so long, however, because it gave her an excuse to do an 'all nighter' during the full moon without Sirius asking dumb questions. Before dawn came she packed her bag (as if she'd let the order get in the way of fixing Remus' things!) and made sure to include the new healing cream she'd made for him.

At dawn she crept silently up the stairs and into Remus' room. This time he was sprawled against the wall, and so Katherine once again put down her bag and then gently helped Remus to the bed. Again she gave him a dreamless sleep draught and then carefully washed him. But this time before she massaged the ointment into his muscles she used the healing cream she'd made on his wounds, because although the golden seal root had done wonders she still hadn't been completely satisfied with the way his wounds had healed. So she gently applied the cream to his wounds and waited a few minutes until it absorbed before massaging him with the ointment.

When she was finished she tucked Remus in and combed his hair away from his face before smiling down at him. He looked adorable when he was asleep, his face relaxed and all the lines in his face disappeared so she could get a relatively good idea of how he might have looked in younger years (not that he was old by any stretch of the imagination). Katherine couldn't resist leaning down and leaving a soft kiss on his forehead, then she shook her head disapprovingly while thinking, "Careful, Katherine. This is a creepy enough situation without you being affectionate at a guy who's unconscious."

She poured out the basin and took her bag, leaving as silently as she came.

--

Katherine coughed as the sawdust flew through the air as she sanded the table in the dining room. "This table had better look fabulous when I'm done or I may have to scream."

Sirius shook his head, "I don't see why you want to save that piece of shit anyway…"

"Because I don't think a crappy table will go with this room when it doesn't look crappy anymore. Besides, do _you_ want to buy a nice to table for this room when you're just going to tear it down after the war? No? Didn't think so."

"Couldn't you have at least found a spell to sand that thing?"

"Considering you don't have any books on magical carpentry in your library and I don't know where to buy them, then no… no I couldn't."

Sirius rolled his eyes.

Katherine glared at him, "Besides, why am I the one who constantly has to figure out ways to do this stuff? This is _your_ house and this is supposed to help _you_ too and so _I_ shouldn't have to do all the work, now should I?"

"Well, it's not like I've had a lot of practice doing magic since I got out of Azkaban!" Sirius said petulantly.

"And it's not like I've had much practice at all since two years ago when I found out I was a witch at the age of 21!" Katherine growled, "Don't you play the Azkaban card with me in that way, Sirius. I respect that you've had a much tougher time than I have but I'm not going to let you use it as an excuse to not live your life." She threw down the sander, "You know, you make it out that you're having fun now that you're out and that you hate this place. Yet you stay here most of the time and when you do go out it's rarely alone. I understand that you're scared…"

"You don't understand anything!" Sirius yelled.

"Bullshit! I'm the only one that _can_ understand, and don't you forget it! Not to mention I'm one of the few that actually _cares_!"

"Well if I'm doing so badly then what does that say about _you_? You hole yourself up in this house worse than I do, it's practically your entire world. You cling to Remus like the needy little chit that you are but refuse to admit to being! Miss high-and-mighty is actually nothing more than a crazy bitch with serious anti-social tendencies and abandonment issues!" Sirius screamed, getting close to her and pointing right in her face.

"And Mr. Cool Guy is nothing more than an idiot whose still living in the past and wouldn't know the people who actually give a shit about him if they jumped up and bit him in the shitter!" Katherine glared, snarling at him. Then she pushed him away and went towards the door.

"Oh no, you're not walking away this time!" Sirius went after her.

Katherine turned around, grabbed a nearby rag and threw it at him, "Fuck you!"

Sirius grabbed a sponge and screamed, "Fuck you too!"

She turned and kicked the doorway before sinking down against it, her face going into her hands.

Sirius sighed and sat down next to her. "Is it what happened to your family that bothers you so much?"

Katherine shook her head, "That's not a pleasant thought, of course, but it's so far away now that it's just another _really_ bad memory."

He looked at her curiously, "Then what is it?"

She sighed and said, "It's just… what do you do when the world keeps moving on and you're so far behind that you may never catch up and don't even know how?"

Sirius shrugged, "You're asking the wrong person."

Katherine looked at him, "Precisely…"

He smirked and chuckled, "Point taken."

She nodded and rested her head against the doorway.

--

Remus gently stroked through Katherine's hair as she laid atop him on the couch and he read.

"Do you think I'm needy?" Katherine suddenly asked, looking up at him with her big blue eyes.

He blinked, then narrowed his eyes, "Who said you were needy?"

"Well, am I?" She pressed.

"Of course not! What would make you think that?"

"It's just that I seem to command so much of your attention…"

"Well I certainly wouldn't give it to you if I didn't want to, it's not as if anyone is twisting my arm to spend time with you." He held up his hand, "No, you are _not_ needy. We're close to one another, and we're comfortable together, that does not equate needy."

"You're sure?" Katherine asked, looking at him searchingly.

"Quite…" He said sternly.

She smiled, "Good… I just thought I should ask." She snuggled back into him and he moved his arm back into a comfortable position around her.

"Well, you don't have to ask. It's not as if you stalk me... right?" Although he said the last part with a serious face, it was obvious he was joking.

"Depends… does not stalking you include not having a collection of your underpants?" She batted her eyes at him.

"I should think so…" He said, trying not to laugh.

She pretended to think about it and said, "Well… after I redecorate a little… then no, definitely not a stalker."

He growled and gently pulled her hair.

Katherine laughed and put her chin against his chest, grinning up at him.

He smiled down at her and caressed her cheek affectionately with his thumb, "Don't you know I love every moment I spend with you."

She closed her eyes and leaned into the caress, before looking up at him happily, "I certainly do now."

He smiled even brighter, "Good." He moved her head to rest against his chest.

She sighed contentedly and listened to the steady beat of his heart.


	42. Chapter 42

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J.K. Rowling (although all my original characters belong to me!) Nor am I making any profit from this story. However, I will attempt to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please comment! It is the only way I can know how you feel about my story.

--

"You mean you actually _do_ have the whole… stronger senses thing going on? I thought that was just…" _A fangirl fantasy._ "Myth."

"Well, it's not as if I become super wolf man or anything… but I suppose I can hear a little better and smell a little better than others. As for strength, I'm not even sure where that comes from, although I'm probably more muscular than I would be due to the stress that my body goes through every month."

"But you can't smell things from way far away or anything, right?" Katherine asked incredulously.

Remus shook his head, "No, I can just smell someone a little further away than a normal person, I think."

"Wow…" Katherine took another sip of firewhisky and thought about the concept. "I knew there were two schools of thought, basically, about it. One that even in human form there's a wolf lurking inside the werewolf and that the lupine senses are always keen…" She said dramatically, waving her fingers a little. Then she shrugged, "And the school that thinks that werewolves are just people who turn into big, furry, dangerous creatures at the full moon." She narrowed her eyes a bit, "I'm guessing that the wizarding world is uniformly of the first school, considering all the bullshit they put you through."

Remus sighed, "Unfortunately…"

Katherine shook her head, "Truthfully, though, even if you do have a beast lurking within you and you've got strong senses and all that… teenagers are more frightening than you are, and they don't have horrible laws placed against them… at least not many of them."

Remus gave her a look.

She held up her hand, "That's in human form! Human! When you're not angry at me… then you're much scarier. And when you're in wolf form…. Well, I've never _seen_ you in wolf form, and certainly never without wolfsbane, but I'm certain you're very scary and dangerous and everything. I'm not taking the fact that you're a werewolf lightly, not at all, I'm just saying that there's no reason that everyone should have such a large stick up their asses where werewolves are concerned. Anybody can be dangerous, but pulling someone out of the crowd as more dangerous than others because of a condition they have (even if it's being a werewolf) is still pulling someone out of the crowd as more dangerous than others because of a condition they have."

Remus looked at her thoughtfully, "Unfortunately, the wizarding world doesn't see it that way…"

Katherine nodded, "I've noticed…" She shook her head, "You know, the muggle world isn't a lick better. There's this condition, called AIDS. It's an extremely serious, life threatening illness that causes lots of pain and suffering to the person all by itself… but unless you have unprotected sex with that person or manage to get a transfusion of their body fluids you can't get it and being in the person's company and sharing food with them… all that, it's harmless. But I've met people who have it that say that people keep away from them, and that they have to be alone a lot, because people are afraid of getting it. But you _can't_ get it unless you do something you're not supposed to or there's a really bad accident, and so there's no reason to be so… nasty about it."

Remus nodded, listening.

"And… I know it's not the same thing, but I can't help but think of what's happened to you and that condition as sort of similar. I mean, as long as you take precautions and respect the condition for what it is then there isn't any danger unless the person themselves is dangerous. I certainly can't see why you…" Katherine looked at Remus, and then looked down, "I'm sorry."

Remus gave a somewhat wry smile and said, "At least you're not referring to it as my 'furry little problem'."

Katherine gave him a look, "Who on earth would refer to it like that?"

Remus shook his head and said (only partially serious), "Someone not nearly so level-headed and sensitive as you."

Katherine snorted and threw a pillow at him, "Jackass… Okay, so… what does Sirius smell like then?"

He raised an eyebrow, "You can't be serious?"

"I am completely serious. Put your money where your mouth is, if you _really_ have better senses than others than you must at least know the scents of those in your normal social group." Katherine said challengingly.

Remus huffed and then thought about it, "He smells like mud, apples, and moss."

"And Albus, besides the candy."

"Like old blankets and pine needles."

"And me?" She said, tilting her head slightly.

He looked at her for a long time and then quietly said, "Like heavy rain and cinnamon."

Katherine smiled, "Really?"

Remus nodded, "Really."

She grinned, "I like that…"

He chuckled, "Alright, with your _normal_ senses, what do I smell like?"

"Remus," Katherine said simply, taking another sip of whisky.

Remus narrowed his eyes and said, "Now that's just not fair."

Katherine chuckled, "So sorry…"

They remained quiet for a few minutes before Remus asked, "So… you really didn't think that me being a werewolf had any effect on me when I was human?"

She shrugged, "I knew it could go either way, and didn't really mind which way was true. I just didn't want to put anything on you that you couldn't wear, and so I felt it safe to think that you were just a normal human being when you were human unless you told me otherwise."

Remus smiled at her slightly, "Thank you…"

Katherine smiled back, "You're welcome."

--

"What _is_ that?" Katherine asked, looking at the wiggling grey mass that a woman was holding up to them.

"It's an eel, Kitty." Sirius explained, as if to a very stupid child.

She glared at him, "I'm from Ohio, you lackwit, we don't sell eels in food markets in Ohio. We warn one another that we could get electrocuted by them and leave it at that."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Honestly, you're supposed to be _smart_."

Katherine slapped him upside the head.

--

She had been more than a little surprised when her Uncle Albus had owled her to inform her that Hagrid was coming over to 'give her a present'. Although she had a pleasant relationship with the very nice half-giant, she didn't think they were on such tender terms that he would go out of his way to give her a gift. Besides, knowing Hagrid, it could be any sort of beast and she didn't want anything that would hurt her loves.

So when the knock on the door came Katherine was perhaps not as excited as she might have been to open the door and greet Hagrid, but when she did he grinned at her and said, "Ello Miss Dumbledore! Glad to see ya in good health!"

She smiled at him, "Hello Hagrid, won't you come in?" She stepped away from the door quickly. He was carrying a very large box, which Katherine wasn't sure boded well, but she trusted that it wasn't so very big that it was any real danger.

"Don't mind if I do!" He grinned and stepped in.

She ushered him into the sitting room and onto the couch before saying, "Would you like some tea?"

Hagrid shook his head, "No, thank you, gotta get back to my duties soon. I just wanted to give you this." He set the large box on the table. "I've been hearing about how you've been getting so temperamental with people, and wondered why a sweet girl like you would be doing that… so often. Then it came to me that when I knew ya best you were a teacher and always fussin' over the students, so perhaps you've been gettin' so touchy because you don't have enough people to fuss over, so I brought you someone for just that reason." He opened the box.

She stepped up to it cautiously and looked inside, only to see a big, grey head pop out and look at her with big black eyes.

"See, Fang has a sister that just had puppies. This one here's the runt of the litter, and the snuggliest of them all, so I thought she'd be perfect… besides, I figure you could use another girl in your life what with bein' surrounded by men all the time." Hagrid explained.

"Well… I…" Katherine blinked, then grinned and picked the large puppy up in her arms and started snuggling it, "Thank you! She's _adorable_!"

"What's adorable?" Sirius asked, chewing on a piece of toast.

"Hagrid's brought me a puppy!" Katherine said with joy as the puppy licked her face affectionately, liking this small, skinny person that was so happy to see her.

Sirius groaned, "You just _had_ to do it, didn't you Hagrid? You just _had_ to give _Katherine_ a puppy… Do you have any idea how spoiled that dog is going to be in a matter of weeks, and how much she'll train it to hate me?"

Hagrid chuckled, "I'll just let you two sort it out amongst yourselves. I've got to be going." He smiled at Katherine, "I'm sure I don' have to tell you to take care of her?"

Katherine shook her head, "Nope, I've got it covered."

Hagrid smiled and slapped Sirius on the back, "It'll be fine, lad! I'm sure you'll like the puppy, too."

Sirius just glared.


	43. Chapter 43

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J.K. Rowling (although all my original characters belong to me!) Nor am I making any profit from this story. However, I will attempt to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please comment! It is the only way I can know how you feel about my story.

Nana honestly wasn't sure who the alpha was at her new home, though she knew it wasn't The Miserable One, for it seemed sometimes as if her mummy The Angry One was the alpha but then The Quiet One would say or do something and her mummy would go beta. She supposed it didn't really matter. This new place was very big and her mummy took her for walks every day and snuggled her regularly, although she wasn't allowed in the down place. Every time she tried to follow Mummy when she went there her mummy would give her a "no, no!"

When Mummy would go to the down place Nana usually went to snuggle with The Quiet One, who she considered her daddy, and he usually had no problem keeping her company. What she hated was when Mummy went to the down place and only The Miserable One was there. Mummy _obviously_ didn't like him, and Nana had every intention of letting him know that she backed up her mummy in everything. So usually she would have to cuddle up in the kitchen and growl at The Miserable One when he tried to sneak out snacks after Mummy clearly told him to wait for dinner. Honestly, why her parents put up with such a pest was beyond her.

--

Sometimes Katherine really missed her iPod, I mean really. She'd gotten it just the way she liked it, and now she was stuck listening to an old fashioned record player that kept skipping! Furthermore, she only got to listen to music that was from the mid 90's down and sometimes a girl just needed to listen to some Alicia Keys.

"Kitty Kat?" Katherine heard an annoying voice say from behind her.

Katherine tensed up and hissed, "Nymphie, what the hell do you want? And who the _fuck_ let you into my lab?"

"Oh, I just wanted to see how my favorite person was doing." Tonks picked up a bottle and said, "Honestly, how can you work with all this shit?"

Katherine snatched the bottle out of grip and set it back on the table, growling, "I'll tell you this _once_ Miss Tonks, get the _fuck_ out of my lab and don't come back."

Tonks smirked, "Honestly, is this any way to _get along_ with me? Besides, what are you going to do about it?" She picked up another jar, "Your uncle will get mad if you do anything."

Before Tonks could blink Katherine had her against the wall with a knife held against her neck. She gasped and shuddered when she saw the feral look in the woman's eyes.

"You think I give a shit about what my uncle says? I'm the crazy bitch, remember? Sure, they can throw me in Azkaban…" She gently rubbed the knife against Tonks' neck, "But if I got to gut you first, then it might just be worth it."

Tonks got some leverage and pushed Katherine away, reaching for her wand and finding it missing.

"What kind of auror are you, anyway?" Katherine held the wand up in her fingers.

Tonks blinked, "How did you…"

Katherine smirked, "Lets just say that I'm not exactly from the nice part of town, and that people didn't leave me the fuck alone for nothing." Katherine was slightly surprised when Tonks' hair turned black. With that, though, she laughed and tossed back the wand. "You really should get in some sort of physical fighting skills, Nymphie. Honestly, what sort of tom boy doesn't know how to scrap properly?"

Tonks glared, "So says the Queen."

Katherine huffed, "Just get the hell out of my lab, you're not allowed in here."

Tonks crossed her arms and stared at her, "Just what is your problem with me, anyway? I don't remember doing anything to piss you off."

"That's because you're oblivious, and besides; I don't believe I need any particular reason to dislike someone. It's part of my charm." Katherine said while going back to her work table.

"Yeah, but… we're the same age… shouldn't we be friends instead of enemies?"

"I see no reason why we should?"

"Why not?"

"Because I hate you."

"But _why_?"

"Because, that's why, and that's the only answer you're going to get." Katherine said quietly. She looked at Tonks, "Listen, you might very well be a lovely person and I sympathize if you want to have a friend of similar age and sex in the order. But its not going to be me and that's not going to change any time soon."

Tonks studied her for a moment and then quietly asked, "Are you in love with Remus Lupin or something? I remember I introduced myself to him before you and I flirted with him a little."

Katherine stiffened up, "I don't see how my personal feelings would be any of your business."

"Is that a yes?" Tonks asked coyly.

"The answer is fuck off, bitch. Now will you _please_ get the fuck out of my lab before I'm forced to actually stab you?" Katherine said dangerously.

Tonks chuckled and held up her hands, "Okay, okay… I'm going, but I'm going to talk to you about this later."

"No, you're not. In fact, I might just have to beat the shit out of you if you even attempt it." Katherine growled.

Tonks shrugged, "Maybe, but it would be worth it. You seem like someone who could use some good, old fashioned, girl talk."

"Fuck off."

Tonks laughed, "I'll just leave you to your work, then."

--

Sirius glared at Nana.

Nana glared at Sirius.

"Sirius, I'm beginning to think you've spent too much time as a dog." Katherine said from the couch, Nana sprawled over her lap.

"Why's that?" Sirius slurred, taking another sip of firewhisky.

"Sirus… you've been glaring at my puppy for an hour now. You don't even glare at _me_ for an hour at a time." Katherine said, surprisingly gently.

"You don't lay in the kitchen and growl at me when I try and get a little snack." Sirius growled, pointing.

Katherine snorted, "No, but I wish I'd thought of it."

"Hey! Who's side are you on?" Sirius raged.

"The one who's currently fuzzy and sitting on my lap." Katherine said, as if it should be obvious.

Sirius glared.

"It's nothing personal, whoever is cuddliest wins." She shrugged.

"So where does that put Remus?" He waggled his eyebrows.

"Don't make me kill you, Sirius. Just stop glaring at my puppy."

--

When Remus came home he took one look at Nana, and she got off of Katherine's lap.

Remus took his place on the couch with Katherine, who immediately snuggled up to him as Nana curled up at their feet.

Sirius huffed, but didn't say anything.


	44. Chapter 44

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J.K. Rowling (although all my original characters belong to me!) Nor am I making any profit from this story. However, I will attempt to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please comment! It is the only way I can know how you feel about my story.

--

"You may want to try sipping that…" Katherine said, watching Tonks gulp down a glass of water as if she'd been roaming the desert for months.

Tonks finished the glass and then belched, "Why? It's just water."

Katherine gave a long suffering sigh, "You could choke, for one thing."

Tonks rolled her eyes, and then smiled, "What? Do you actually _care_ Kitty Kat?"

Katherine narrowed her eyes and said, "I'm going to get you for that comment, Nymphie."

Tonks chuckled, "Can't wait."

--

"I can't believe our house has become the order of the phoenix hotel." Katherine sighed.

Remus smiled and unconsciously took her hand, "It'll be alright. They're not here all the time."

Katherine blushed and nodded, "I suppose so." She entwined their fingers.

"I'm going to Hogwarts again tomorrow, are you sure you don't want to come with me? I'm sure the children would be happy to have you."

"And what help would I be? I barely know anything about defense against the dark arts, not to mention the threats of the dark arts themselves." She shook her head, "I think its best if you and Sirius helped them and that I just keep out of it. But if you need my help specifically I'd be glad to help."

He nodded and then kissed her temple, "Alright."

She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.

Sirius came in the room and rolled his eyes upon seeing them, "Why are you two always cuddling? Honestly, the cub and the kitten." He shook his head.

Katherine snorted, "You're just jealous because you don't have anyone to cuddle with."

Sirius waggled his eyebrows, "Was that an invitation?"

Both Remus and Katherine glared at him.

He chuckled, "I'll take that as a no." He looked down and saw Nana across the room, "What about you, precious? You want to be my cuddle buddy?"

Nana growled.

Sirius looked at Katherine, "Did you teach that thing English when I wasn't looking?"

--

The Weasleys were coming to stay for a few days. Katherine was a bit worried since she had spent very little time with Arthur and Molly Weasley and wasn't quite sure if they would be at all willing to accept her in her current state.

"Professor Tingstrom!" She heard a familiar voice say behind her right before she felt someone hug her.

She looked back and smiled at Ron Weasley, which meant actually having to lean her head up a bit, "Well, hello Mr. Weasley!" She was surprised to find herself getting a little emotional when she saw how much he'd grown since she'd last seen him. "My, look at you! You're so big now I hardly recognized you!"

He grinned at her, "You look good Professor, are you feeling better now?"

She nodded and said, "I'm feeling very well, Mr. Weasley, thank you."

He chuckled, "Can you _please_ just call me Ron now? You're not my teacher anymore."

She smirked, "I will when you stop calling me _Professor_, Mr. Weasley. It's Miss Dumbledore now."

He laughed, "Alright."

"Hello Professor!" She heard two voices say and she rolled her eyes.

"Uh oh, here comes trouble." She smiled at Fred and George, but then gave them a stern look, "Stay out of my kitchen and my lab else I sick Nana on you."

On command Nana stood up from the corner and growled menacingly.

They laughed. Fred looked at George and said, "Same old Professor Tingstrom."

George smiled at Fred, "Did we really expect differently, though?"

Fred smiled at her and stretched out his arms, "Come on Professor, you know you love us!" He went to hug her., George following behind.

She held up a hand and said, "Uh, no. Hands up."

They held their hands up and she searched them for any tricks.

When she was done she said, "Alright, you can hug me if you must."

They both embraced her saying. "Aw, we wouldn't trick you Professor!"

She looked down and then gave them a look, "Why does my chest suddenly say 'I love the Weasley twins?'?"

They grinned at her. Fred said, "It's our new invention."

George said, "They're messages that press into other people's clothing when you hug them."

"Isn't it brilliant?" Fred asked excitedly.

Katherine gave a long suffering sigh and said, "Brilliant, does it wash off?"

They nodded and George said, "It'll come right out in the wash."

"And it won't dye my other clothes?"

"Nope," Fred said.

"Alrighty then, excuse me." Katherine sighed and went upstairs to change.

--

When Katherine came down it seemed like the Weasleys had made themselves at home. Arthur was reading in the sitting room. Fred, George, and Ron were all playing exploding snap (which Katherine decided she would allow unless they got too irritating). Ginny was sitting on the couch with Harry (who had come with the Weasleys to the house, which was no surprise to anyone) and they both smiled and waved at her as she passed by.

What Katherine was most irritated by, however, was the fact tha Molly Weasley was in her kitchen! Who the hell did she think she was? So she was stomping her way towards the kitchen to give her a piece of her mind when Remus stopped her and she saw "I love the Weasley twins" on his cardigan. She pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle the giggles.

He rolled his eyes and said, "I should have known better than to let them hug me."

She smiled affectionately at him and put a hand on his arm, "Don't worry about it. I'll do some washing tonight and get that right out. I put the nice blue cardigan I got on sale for you last week in your drawers yesterday, why don't you put that on until then?"

He smiled and said, "Thank you Katherine." He kissed her temple.

She smiled, receiving the kiss, and said, "You're welcome!"

He squeezed her hand affectionately before going upstairs to change.

When Katherine went back to her rampage she saw that Molly had been watching them and was grinning at her.

Katherine huffed and went up to Molly, intending to inform her of the rules of the house, but was interrupted. "You really do love him, don't you?"

Katherine blinked, "Pardon?"

Molly smiled in a knowing way and said, "Remus, of course."

Katherine blushed crimson and stammered, "Love… love him? I… I don't know…" She looked back at where he had been and then at Molly, shrugging, "He's my home, I couldn't imagine my life without him anymore. He's been with me through so much… he's the most important person to me."

"And?" Molly pressed.

Katherine thought about it a moment and was startled by the realization. She smiled wistfully and said, "Yes, I suppose… I suppose I do love him. I love Remus."

Molly grinned and hugged her, "I'm so happy! I've wanted him to find someone for so long, I'm so glad you found each other!"

Katherine stiffened up in surprise, but eventually hugged Molly back. "Me too, Mrs. Weasley."

Molly smiled at Katherine, actually wiping a tear from her eye, "Please, call me Molly."

--

Remus figured that Katherine and Molly would either be great friends or great enemies, depending on how they started out. From how he saw Katherine making a bee line towards Molly earlier he suspected that he would probably have to break up a fight by now; so imagine his surprise when he saw them sitting down at the kitchen table and writing on a piece of paper, drinking tea together.

As he walked up he heard Katherine say, "Just remember not to put beans in anything, they give Sirius horrible gas and (trust me) _none_ of us want that." As she saw him in the doorway she blushed and gave him a shy smile, "Hello Remus, did you need something?"

He shook his head and leaned against the doorframe, "What exactly are you doing?"

Molly looked up, "We're making up new rules of the house, effective whenever we stay here. We were just discussing who cooks on which days and what."

"Oh…" Remus said, at a loss. "Well… that's good then."

"Would you like to help?" Katherine asked.

Remus looked at her and his heart momentarily stopped before accelerating when he saw the way she was looking at him. But he stamped it down, giving it the same old reminder not to get overexcited about attentions from Katherine. Yet when he looked at her at times these days, he just couldn't help himself.

He just shook his head and smiled at Katherine, "No thank you, Katherine. I'll just go see what Sirius is doing."

She smiled, nodding, and said, "Alright darlin'."

They both stiffened up for a moment. But like usual, they both ignored the slip and went about their business.

--

Severus stopped by a few days later. He came in and looked around, sneering at the Weasley filled house.

Katherine came up to him and smiled, "Hello Professor Snape, was there something that you needed?"

He sniffed and then put a friendlier (for Severus) look on his face and said, "I was wondering if I could use your copy of 'Crabtree's theories on aconite'? One of my students created an _incident_ and I am without my copy, and since they are hard to find…"

Katherine smiled, "Of course, Professor. I'll go get it right now."

Severus nodded and waited by the door as she went into her lab and got the book.

When she brought it up and handed it to him he studied it for a moment before saying carefully, "From what I have heard and seen, you seem to have become quite acceptable at potions making."

Katherine nodded, "I'd like to think so."

He raised his head and gave her a stern look, "So I was wondering if perhaps you would allow me to teach you how to make the Wolfsbane potion so that I longer had to make it every month for your damned werewolf."

Katherine blinked for a moment and then she began to feel choked up, "Really? I mean… _really_? You would _do_ that for us?"

He glared at her, "I am not doing it for _you_! I merely would like to be free from the obligation."

"Yes, well, still Severus that's…" She laughed in happiness and couldn't resist quickly embracing him and saying, "Thank you! Thank you Severus, thank you so much!"

After a moment Severus slowly, very slowly, put his arms around her as well.

Katherine pulled back and positively beamed at Severus, "Thank you again! I promise that I'll do everything you ask of me, you won't have to worry about me getting it wrong! This is too important to mess up."

Severus was slightly blushing and cleared his throat saying, "Just see that you keep that promise."

Katherine looked to the side and saw Remus standing in the doorway, seeming shell shocked. She grinned and ran to him and leaped into his arms and embraced him around the neck, "Isn't it wonderful, Remus? He's going to teach me how to make the Wolfsbane!"

He blinked and then it was as if a weight was lifted off of him and he smiled, "That's wonderful!" He looked at Severus and smiled slightly, "Thank you, Severus. It means a lot to us."

Severus glared menacingly at him and said, "I'm not doing it for _you_! I just don't want to have to make your damned potion every month! Get it through your _thick skull_!" With that he immediately stormed out the door.

Katherine buried her face into Remus' shoulder, "I can't believe it, this is so great!"

Remus sighed contentedly and wrapped his arms around her tightly, saying, "Yes, it's wonderful."

--

That night as Remus and Katherine snuggled on the couch he played with her fingers. Suddenly Remus said, "You know, when I saw you and Severus together I thought…"

Katherine looked up, surprised, "You thought what?"

He hesitated, then said, "You know what I thought…"

She blinked and then a small, mischievous smile grew on her face. "Remus, were you jealous?"

He looked away, blushing slightly.

She grinned and kneeled with each leg aside both of his, turning his face to her so tha he would look in her eyes while gently stroking his cheeks, "Remus, don't you know that there's no one else for me except you?"

He gave her a startled look but before he could say anything she leaned forward and gently kissed him on the lips.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed her back passionately.

Katherine sighed happily into his mouth as she melted into the kiss, thinking, "So _this_ is what all the fuss is about. No wonder." She tangled her fingers into his hair.

After a minute as the kissing was getting a little _too_ passionate for the couch Katherine groaned and said, "Remus, there are children in the house now."

Without a word Remus picked her up in his arms and began to carry her quickly up the stairs.

Katherine laughed and held onto his neck.


	45. Chapter 45

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J.K. Rowling (although all my original characters belong to me!) Nor am I making any profit from this story. However, I will attempt to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please comment! It is the only way I can know how you feel about my story.

--

_Katherine was dressed in a beautiful dark blue evening gown, amidst a gorgeous black and white ballroom. She appeared to be the only person there other than the jazz band that was playing behind her. That is, until a tawny haired man in an elegant tuxedo stepped out onto the floor and smiled at her. _

_She grinned at him and walked closer to him as the jazz band started. _

_She stopped just short of the man and clasped her hands in front of her and sang:_

At words poetic, I'm so pathetic  
That I always have found it best,  
Instead of getting 'em off my chest,  
To let 'em rest unexpressed.  
I hate parading my serenading  
As I'll probably miss a bar,  
But if this ditty is not so pretty,  
At least it'll tell you how great you are.

_Once again she grinned at him and stepped forward, taking his hands while singing:_

You're the top! You're the Coliseum,  
You're the top! You're the Louvre Museum,  
You're a melody from a symphony by Strauss,  
You're a Bendel bonnet, a Shakespeare sonnet,  
You're Mickey Mouse.  
You're the Nile, You're the Tow'r of Pisa,  
You're the smile on the Mona Lisa.  
I'm a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop,  
But if, Baby, I'm the bottom,  
You're the top!

_He laughed and took her into his arms, and they began dancing in the 'special' way they always did as she continued singing:_

Your words poetic are not pathetic  
On the other hand, boy, you shine  
And I can feel after every line  
A thrill divine down my spine.  
Now gifted humans like Vincent Youmans  
Might think that your song is bad,  
But for a person who's just rehearsin'  
Well I gotta say this my lad:

_He rested his cheek against hers:_

You're the top! You're Mahatma Gandhi.  
You're the top! You're Napoleon brandy.  
You're the purple light of a summer night in Spain,  
You're the National Gall'ry, You're Garbo's sal'ry,  
You're cellophane.  
You're sublime, You're a turkey dinner.  
You're the time of the Derby winner.  
I'm a toy balloon that is fated soon to pop.  
But if, Baby, I'm the bottom,  
You're the top!

_He laughed again and hugged her, she kissed his neck:_

You're the top! You're an Arrow collar.  
You're the top! You're a Coolidge dollar.  
You're the nimble tread of the feet of Fred Astaire,  
You're an O'Neill drama, You're Whistler's mama,  
You're Camembert.  
You're a rose, You're Inferno's Dante,  
You're the nose of the great Durante.  
I'm just in the way, as the French would say  
"De trop,"  
But if, Baby, I'm the bottom,  
You're the top.

_He pulled away and shook his head, but smiled at her affectionately as she finished:_

You're the top! You're a dance in Bali.  
You're the top! You're a hot tamale.  
You're an angel, you simply too, too, too diveen,  
You're a Botticelli, You're Keats, You're Shelley,  
You're Ovaltine.  
You're a boon, You're the dam at Boulder,  
You're the moon over Mae West's shoulder.  
I'm a nominee of the G.O.P. or GOP,  
But if, Baby, I'm the bottom,  
You're the top!

_He burst out laughing and took her into his arms, holding her close and saying, "I love you too, Katherine."_

Her bed smelled really good, and it was so _warm_…

Katherine sighed and snuggled into the warm, soft, but for some reason unusually firm pillow. It shifted slightly and the familiar heartbeat made her smile contentedly.

"Wait a second…" She thought, as she realized that pillows weren't supposed to move or have heartbeats.

She opened her eyes to see tanned skin, some random scars, and tawny chest hairs upon a chest that was gently rising and falling.

Suddenly she remembered last night and grinned, snuggling up closer to Remus and not being able to help a slight, "Mmmm…"

She heard a slight chuckle from above her and felt long fingers run through her hair, "Morning."

--

He'd been watching her sleep for a few minutes now, he would never get over how she looked when fast asleep. Honestly, he wasn't sure there could be anything more beautiful.

He wondered if she knew that she hummed when she slept.

Oh well…

Eventually she stirred and he watched, trying not to chuckle, as she wiggled around a little and then grinned and snuggled into him more.

He couldn't help reaching down and stroking her lovely hair as he said, "Morning."

--

She grinned up lazily at him, "Good morning, Remus."

He smiled down at her, "Are you hungry? Would you like me to bring you some tea?"

She shook her head and snuggled back into him, "Not unless you want some too. I'd rather just stay here for a while longer, if you don't mind."

He grinned and cuddled her close, "I believe I can be cohearsed."

She chuckled.

He rubbed her arm and eventually broke the silence by saying, "So…"

She rested her chin on his chest, "So?"

He chewed his lip a moment before he asked, "What happens now?"

She tilted her head, "What do you mean?" Then it hit her and she sat up and looked at him indignantly, "Exactly what are you saying? Do you think I said that to you and _slept_ with you, but wouldn't want to actually _be_ with you? Merlin, Remus, you're my best friend and you _honestly_ think…"

He pulled her down and kissed her, shutting off her anger. When he pulled away he smiled and brushed some hair out of her face, "I was just checking."

She scowled at him.

He laughed and held her close, "I love you, Katherine. I only want to do what will make you happy."

She rolled her eyes but cuddled into him, "Ever think about making _yourself_ happy?"

"Hmmm… never occurred to me." He nuzzled her ear.

She kissed his shoulder, "I love you too."

He smiled and combed his fingers through her hair, "I never thought this would happen."

"What? Having sex? Being in love?" She looked up at him as she rested her head on his chest.

He rolled his eyes, "Being with you, love."

She frowned, "I'm sorry."

He kissed her forehead, "It doesn't matter now."

She nodded and stroked his chest.

He continued combing his fingers through her hair and asked, "Does this mean that you'll finally admit you've been helping me after my transformations each month?"

She blushed and said, "How did you know that?"

He rolled his eyes, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a stupid man Katherine. Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out? Who else would it have been?"

She chuckled, "I don't know… the magical werewolf nurse fairy?"

He pulled her hair, glaring at her.

She laughed, then shook her head and looked at him earnestly, "I don't know, Remus. Sirius told me that you didn't like him being around during your transformations and so I thought…"

He hugged her, "But he's not you. I'd be happy to have you around… if you wanted."

She beamed at him and said, "I want." She kissed his chin.

He took her face between his hands and stroked her cheeks, looking into her eyes. "You really are just so…"

She kissed his hands, "So are you, darling." She rested her head on his chest again and smiled, "Do you think we're going to get out of this bed today, even?"

He chuckled, "Do you really care?"

She laughed, "Not really."

He smiled, "Me either."

--

Harry came over to Grimmauld Place to find only Sirius at home, in the kitchen having lunch. "Where is everyone?" Harry asked as he sat down.

Sirius looked up and shrugged.

Harry gave a surprised look, "You don't know?"

Sirius smirked, "Oh, I know. But I really would rather not have that discussion with you at this point in time." He took a sip of his tea.

"What do you mean?" He was honestly baffled.

Sirius rolled his eyes and passed the plate of sandwiches, "Here, Harry, just have something to eat and tell me how things are going at school."


	46. Chapter 46

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J.K. Rowling (although all my original characters belong to me!) Nor am I making any profit from this story. However, I will attempt to portray them to the best of my abilities. Also, I'm very sorry for being gone so long but I've been finishing my last trimester in college as well as getting ready to move so I didn't have much time  I'm very, very sorry.

Please, please comment! It is the only way I can know how you feel about my story.

--

Severus scowled as he looked at Katherine and Lupin. It was positively sickening the way they were sitting next to one another, his arm around her shoulders and looking so damn _smug_ (not that he could actually blame the man). Since it was only Arthur Weasley talking about a muggle fair that would be taking place soon, he didn't feel as if he was doing the wizarding world a disservice by not paying attention.

Honestly, how could Katherine choose to be a werewolf's mate? That was just sickening! He had thought that she would have better taste than to become romantically associated with… with… an inhuman beast!



Then again… he had thought that Lily Evans had better taste than to _marry_ James Potter, and so he supposed that he didn't have much of an eye for such things. After all, romance had never been his area of expertise… or, well, even knowledge. But, who would have thought? Both Lily and Katherine, seduced by Mauraders… it was just his luck.

When Katherine looked at him and smiled, however, he wiped the scowl off of his face and nodded at her in acknowledgement. Quite frankly, he wasn't in the mood to anger the woman right now and if she saw him scowling at them then that would be exactly what would happen. She was extremely protective of those she cared about, he'd noticed.

Lupin looked over at him and smiled, but Severus didn't miss the suspicious glint in his eyes. He knew that Lupin suspected that Katherine was in love with him, the stupid beast. Severus wondered how Lupin had failed to notice that Katherine had absolutely no interest in him anymore, and was devoted to the werewolf instead. Well… he supposed it served them both right.

--

When the meeting was over and Katherine had discussed going to Hogwarts to make the potion this month with Severus, she went into the kitchen where Tonks was.



Tonks gave her a knowing look and said, "I see you and Remus are very cozy."

"Mhmm…" Katherine said, pouring what looked like water from a pitcher before giving it to Tonks. "Here, try not to gulp it like last time."

Tonks rolled her eyes and downed the entire glass in one gulp.

Katherine burst out laughing.

Tonks blinked, "What…?" Before she started to sway and passed out.

Katherine leaned over her and gave her a little nudge with her foot. "I told you not to gulp it, bitch. I never said it was water." With that she rolled her eyes and left, leaving Tonks there on the floor.

--

After everyone except Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley clan left Remus wrapped his arms around Katherine and kissed her softly on the lips. He nuzzled her temple and said, "I love you."



She snuggled, happily, into his arms and said, "I love you too."

He kissed the top of her head and said, "Sirius wants me to go to the pub with him, should I go?"

Katherine grinned up at him, "Of course, darlin'! It's about time you got out to do something with Sirius, you two haven't been spending much time together lately with you being so busy with work and me."

He smiled and kissed her again, "We won't be home late, alright?"

She nodded, "I'm just going to work on a potion until you get home."

He blinked, "Another potion?"

Katherine nodded, "I found a really unique potion in a book that's supposed to be sort of like a dream or nightmare in that it helps the person taking it work out certain situations so that they can get past them. It's called noster nostri."

He raised his eyebrows, "I don't believe I've ever heard of that one."



"It hasn't been brewed for a few decades, many thought that reliving situations would be too painful for those scarred by the war since it wouldn't help anything. But… I truly believe it could have its uses." Katherine said, drifting off at the end.

He held her close and said, "I love you."

She kissed his neck and smiled, "Go on, have fun. I'll see you when you get home."

He gave her one last nuzzle and a kiss on the forehead before saying, "Okay, just be safe love."

She nodded and watched as he left.

Just then Tonks passed by, glaring, "You are _such_ a bitch!" And then went to the fireplace and flooed away.

Katherine laughed.

--



Katherine was finishing the brewing process for the potion. According to the book it was the right colour and consistency, she just hoped that would be an accurate enough teller for it being made accurately.

However, being a thorough potion maker, she decided to bottle some and show it to Severus. It was supposed to be very potent, only a few drops needed for full effectiveness, and so she was only going to make a little.

Of course, she had been so preoccupied with thinking about the wonderful things the potion could do for people that she accidentally dropped the ladle into the potion and some splashed right into her mouth.

She, of course, fainted.

--

"_Please, Uncle Albus, don't make me go! Don't make me go!" She clutched Albus' robe and cried._

_He watched her for a long moment and then sighed, "Alright, alright…" He picked her up into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder, "I won't make you go… but you have to be ready for the consequences. Alright?"_

_She nodded into his shoulder._

"_Now, are you going to be ready to go to Hogwarts in a few months?" Albus asked as Katherine nibbled on some berries._

_Katherine nodded, "Of course, Uncle."_

_He looked at her soberly, "What name do you want to go by?"_

_She thought about it a long moment, "Dumbledore."_

_He smiled at her softly, "Are you sure?"_

_She smiled at him, "If the other students don't like it, they can kiss my pale patookey."_

_He laughed and then they heard a knock on the door to his office. He patted her head and said, "Wait here."_

_She nodded._

_He walked out of the room and after a few minutes came in with a small bundle in his arms, which he laid on the bed. "Will you watch Harry for me, Katherine?"_

"_Harry?" Katherine asked, confused. She looked down into the bundle and saw bright green eyes looking up at her. "Oh, my!"_

_Albus smiled, "I'll be right back, alright?"_

_She nodded as she gently poked Harry's cheek. After a moment she picked Harry up and said, "Hello, Harry. You want to go listen to the adults with me?"_

_Harry gurgled._

_She carried Harry over to the door and listened to what they were saying, and heard the explination about Sirius Black. When they were talking about finding him to lock him up she burst into the room and said, "Don't do that!"_

_They all looked at her and Albus frowned, "Katherine, I told you…"_

"_Brother William always used to say, if something seems a little too convenient then it's probably on purpose. All the people who would have seen what happened aren't around anymore, and mister Pettigrew can live without a pinky finger… do you even really use a pinky finger?" Katherine said hurriedly, Harry seeming to babble in agreement._

_Hagrid shook his head, "Miss Dumbledore, you wouldn't be understanding grown up affairs… especially ones involving death eaters…"_

_She stiffened up and gave her best indignant look, "Why not? My brother is one!"_

_They all were shocked silent, Katherine had yet to really acknowledge what had happened to her family._

_She was cowed for only a moment and then said with the best confidence that she could muster, "Why don't you use verti… verti…"_

"_Vertiserum?" Remus asked, hope blooming in his heart at the chance that Sirius wasn't a death eater._

_She grinned at Remus, "Yes! Isn't that supposed to make you tell the truth no matter what?"_

_Remus nodded, "It is! Brilliant idea, Katherine, just brilliant."_

_She beamed at him and snuggled Harry._

_Minerva seemed to have her doubts, "I'm not sure if we should…"_

_Albus twinkled, "Why not? What have we got to lose?" He smiled directly at Katherine, "Thank you, child. But now could you please go back into the bedroom and play with Harry for a while?"_

_She nodded, "You bet." She smiled once more at Remus, "Bye Mister Lupin!"_

_He grinned at her, "Bye Katherine."_

_After a while Katherine could sense someone coming into the room, and clutched Harry to her chest and glared at the intruder, "Who are you?"_

_Sirius smiled at her, "Hello Katherine, I'm Sirius… the man you helped?"_

_She nodded, still clutching Harry… who lipped her nightgown._

_He chuckled and said, "I'm also Harry's godfather… can I see him?"_

_She looked into Sirius' grey eyes and frowned, "Hurt Harry and I'll mutilate you, and don't think that I can't just because I'm a kid."_

_He grinned, "Oh, I believe you Kitty Kat."_

_She glared at him, "Never, ever call me Kitty Kat again. I'm not a cat!"_

_He laughed and kissed the top of her head._

_She slapped at him and frowned, "I don't think I like you, Mister Black."_

_He smiled and picked Harry up, grinning at the babe before hugging it, "I'm so glad you're alright Harry! I thought I'd lost you…" Katherine could have sworn she saw some tears form in his eyes._

_Katherine suddenly felt sad for him and hugged him._

_Sirius looked down at her, surprised._

_She started to cry a little too, "I'm sorry about your friends… my family was killed too… except my brother…" She sniffled and cried harder, "He… he killed them!"_

_Sirius put Harry down and hugged Katherine, "I'm sorry."_

_Tears fell down her cheeks, "Everyone's sorry, it's the most useless thing ever."_

_He stroked her hair, "I can understand that."_

"_Hey, are you alright?" Tonks asked, looking down at Katherine who was sitting in the hallway._

_Katherine looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes, "Go away!"_

_Tonks sat down next to her, "Is it because you're the Headmaster's niece? Are people making fun of you?"_

_She glared, "What part of go away don't you understand, pink head?"_

_Tonks held out a box of bisquits, "My name's Nymphadora Tonks, want a bisquit?"_

_Katherine glared for another moment, before sighing and taking a bisquit, "Thanks…" She gave a small smile to Tonks, "I like your name, Nymphadora… like nymphs. You know, demi goddesses or are they full goddesses?" She tilted her head and gave a crooked smile, "Can I call you Nymphie?"_

_Tonks frowned for a moment and then smiled slightly, "Okay… but don't let anyone else do it. I __**hate**__ my first name."_

_Katherine chuckled, "Alright."_

_Tonks smiled at her, "Wanna be best friends?"_

_Katherine scowled, "Don't push it."_

"_Miss Dumbledore, what do you think you are doing?" Professor Snape asked, glowering at her._

_Katherine smiled shyly, "I'm reading ahead."_

_He raised an eyebrow, "And why, pray tell, would you be reading ahead when I've given you a potion to create already?"_

"_Because I'm done with it." She answered sincerely._

_He looked at her skeptically and looked into her cauldron. He was surprised to find that her potion was done perfectly. Severus frowned and said, "Adequate. Next time, however, ask me for another assignment if you get done with your potion early."_

_She nodded, "Yes, sir." But she couldn't hold back the smile._

"_Go help your little minion, Miss Tonks. As usual, she is doing dreadfully." Severus said, as he was walking away._

_Katherine jumped up and went to help Tonks._

"_Will you go to the ball with me, Katherine?" Donald asked as he sat next to her._

_Katherine frowned, "Why should I?"_

_He grinned, "Because I'm adorable?"_

_She snorted, "Pass."_

_He frowned, "Why? Do you think you're going to get a better offer Miss I'm-too-good-for-everyone?"_

_She gave him a look that could melt steel, "If this was your argument for why I should go with you, it fails exceedingly."_

_He huffed and got up._

_Tonks sat next to her and said, "You really never figured out the whole boy meets girl thing, did you?"_

_Katherine wielded her fork._

_Tonks laughed and rolled her eyes, "Alright, alright, I'm dropping it. But if you don't get a boyfriend soon, people are going to start thinking you're a lesbian."_

_Katherine shrugged, "Whatever. I'm waiting for my one true love, and I can wait as long as it takes."_

_Tonks shook her head, "You're only fifteen, don't you think that's a bit young for true love?"_

_Katherine huffed, "And you call me the cynic?"_

_Tonks laughed, "Point taken."_

_It was graduation day and Katherine smiled at Tonks, "I'll be back soon. I just have to do something."_

_Tonks nodded, "Alright, take as long as you need."_

_Katherine nodded and then ran off, going down into the dungeons. She walked up to Severus' office and knocked._

"_Come in," she heard Severus say._

_Katherine walked in, "Hello Professor."_

_Severus gave her a curious look, "What do you want?"_

_She blushed and smiled, "I just… I wanted to thank you for being such a good teacher and… helping me so much. And yes, I promise not to tell anyone you actually did something nice for me."_

_He sniffed, "Well, I don't think your uncle would be very pleased if I hadn't nurtured your potion skills."_

_She laughed and, spontaneously, ran up and hugged him before running out just as fast._

_He blinked after her and then when he knew she was gone, smiled._

_When Katherine stopped at Albus' office to say goodbye before going off to the flat she would share with Tonks she saw a long missing face, "Mister Lupin?"_

_Remus turned and smiled at her, "Well, Katherine! I wasn't sure if I would get to see you before you left." He stood up._

_Katherine ran up and hugged him tightly, "I've missed you so much! Where have you been?"_

_He smiled and hugged her back, "Just wandering around. But, look at you! You're a lady now! It seems only yesterday you were that little kitten waving at me from across the room."_

_She gave him a sly smile, "Trust me, Mr. Lupin, that was far from yesterday."_

_He cleared his throat and asked, "So, what are your plans now?"_

"_I'm going to move in with Tonks, she's going to go to Auror training and I'm going to become a potion master." Katherine answered, not backing away from him._

_He smiled at her, "I'm happy for you, Katherine. You've really done well for yourself."_

_She sparkled at him, "I had help."_

_He just smiled and nodded._

_She gave him a shy smile and said, "Anyway, I came to say goodbye before leaving. So…" She held out her hand, "I hope to see you again, and not years later this time… alright."_

_He took her hand, shaking it, and smiled, "Absolutely. And, you can call me Remus from now on. After all, we're both adults now."_

_She grinned, "Alright."_

_He grinned back at her._

_Albus coughed and they both were jolted out of their little world._

_Katherine smiled and ran up to her uncle, giving him a hug, "Goodbye Uncle Albus, I'll be back on Thursday for tea."_

_Albus hugged her and said, "That sounds wonderful, my dear. Just remember not to be a stranger."_

_She nodded and then smiled at him, smiled again at Remus, and left the room._

_When she left Albus twinkled at Remus, "Well, you two seem to get along quite well… as usual."_

_He blushed, "Your niece is easy to like."_

_Albus smiled, "I certainly think so. But I should think you more than like her, you two have an almost uncanny understanding and caring for one another. You haven't been around long enough to realize, but my niece can be a very closed off person and rather… aggressive. She has friends, but the closest things she has to a best friend are Miss Tonks (whom she frequently decides is the annoyance of her existence) and Professor Snape. With everyone else she is very…"_

_Remus nodded, "I think it's only natural, considering what she's been through."_

_Albus nodded, "Indeed. However, she's never found anyone to really confide in and be close to… not even me. I think, somehow, she blames me for what happened."_

_Remus frowned, "I don't think so. I think she's just dealing with things as best as she can and that… she's afraid. After all, wasn't her brother the person she was closest to?"_

_Albus nodded, "Things like that, are why I am going to ask you to… please help my niece. Nothing extraordinary, perhaps invite her to tea once in a while… give her someone to talk to."_

_Remus smiled, "I can do that."_

_Albus twinkled again, "I appreciate that, Remus."_

_Katherine and Tonks went to Harry's birthday party, where Katherine was immediately ambushed by Harry and Sirius wanting to hug her and get her attention at the same time. She laughed, "Alright, alright! I'm happy to see you both, as well."_

_Sirius and Harry started talking to her, but her eyes met Remus' across the room. They smiled at one another._

_Remus sighed, "Katherine…"_

_She glared at him, "If you tell me one more time that you're too old, too poor, and too dangerous for me I swear I'll beat you over the head with this fucking tea pot."_

_He couldn't help chuckling, "I wouldn't want that, now would I?" He looked at her seriously, "You must admit, though, this isn't the most convenient or… acceptable, of situations."_

_She smiled softly, "I love you, and I'm certain that you love me. I'm twenty two now, about to get my potion master certification, and you're going to become the new defense teacher at Hogwarts. I think we'll do just fine. If people have a problem with it, then that's their problem."_

_He squeezed her hand, "They're going to wonder about… when you were younger."_

_She shook her head, "You were gone most of my life, and when I was younger I only saw you when we were in a crowd. They could give us vertiserum to prove that. There shouldn't be a problem." She smirked, "Besides, I actually think that everyone's been trying to get us together for a long time now."_

_He raised his eyebrows, "You think so."_

_She chuckled, "I know so, actually. Sirius and Nymphie have both asked if we've shagged yet."_

_He rolled his eyes, "Those two are certainly cut from the same cloth."_

_She leaned forward and kissed him, "I rather like that cloth."_

_His eyes shined at her affectionately, "I believe I could grow quite fond of it as well."_

--

Remus shook Katherine, "Katherine! Love, wake up! Are you alright?" He held her close, "Please, please don't leave me."



She opened up her eyes and smiled at him, "Hello Remus."

He laughed and said, "Hello Katherine."

She snuggled up to him, "You know, I always would have chosen you."

He blinked, "What?"

She smiled and shook her head, "Nothing… just…" She grinned at him, "The potion works. It's going to be wonderful!"


	47. Chapter 47

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J.K. Rowling (although all my original characters belong to me!) Nor am I making any profit from this story. However, I will attempt to portray them to the best of my abilities. Also, I'm very sorry for being gone so long but I've been finishing my last trimester in college as I'm very, verywell as getting ready to move so I didn't have much time sorry.

Please, please comment! It is the only way I can know how you feel about my story.

Sirius pounded on Katherine and Remus' door, "Hey! I know you two must have been up late, but Molly's out shopping and I can't cook breakfast."

Katherine groaned, "Why did you insist on taking off the silencing spell last night?" She snuggled up closer into his chest.

Remus tightened his hold on Katherine's shoulders and sighed, "Because I'm an idiot."

Katherine faced the door and screamed, "I'm not your bloody maid! There's cereal in the cupboard over the oven, I'm sure everyone will be impressed by the novelty."

"Is the milk still good?" Sirius asked, sounding confused.

"Of course it's still good! I got it yesterday! What the hell did Molly need anyway?" Katherine answered, sounding surprisingly less vexed than she actually was.

"Ginny's monthly started today!" Sirius announced.

Katherine sighed, "You know… you could have just said that Ginny needed something without divulging private information."

"Oh… right…"

Katherine sighed and kissed Remus' chest, "I love you."

He chuckled and hugged her, "I love you too." He kissed her forehead. "Aren't you finishing up the potion with Severus today?"

Katherine nodded, "Yeah, thank goodness."

Remus narrowed his eyes, "I thought you two were working well together."

She chuckled, "Of course we are. But, as lovely as it's been, I somehow get the feeling that we've been shagging more than usual because you want to remind me that I'm your woman."

He smiled at her, "You just said you were my woman."

She huffed, "If that hasn't been established already, then I don't quite know what I'm going to do with you."

He grinned and kissed her, "You have the oddest approach to relationships, love."

She chuckled, "Oh please, I can't _possibly_ have the _oddest_."

He laughed, "So _now_ you decide to get literal?"

"Oh, hush." She slapped him gently on the chest and smiled.

He kissed her nose, "Would you like to have dinner together, just the two of us, tonight?"

She raised her eyebrows, "You don't have work?"

He smiled and shook his head.

"What about Sirius and the Weasleys?"

"I think they'll survive one night without us."

"And everyone else."

"Bugger the lot of them, I think it's time we went on a formal date." He smiled lovingly at her.

She beamed at him and then kissed him long and hard, "Sounds good to me."

--

"Seriously, Molly, this isn't necessary." Katherine sighed, as yet again another female demanded that they go shopping together so that she could look nice.

"Oh, come now. I'm sure it would make Remus feel very nice if you made yourself look pretty for him." Molly tutted, pulling out a black dress and then shaking her head and putting it back.

Katherine narrowed her eyes, "Precisely what are you trying to say?"

Molly waved that off, "Oh, don't be so sensitive. How about this one?" She held up a white dress.

"No white!" Katherine insisted.

"Why not?"

"You don't think that will seem like hinting?" Katherine raised an eyebrow.



Molly gave a long suffering sigh, "I can't see why you _wouldn't_ be hinting at this point! You two have known one another for years, been living with one another for a year, and have been lovers for nearly a month now. It's about time you were at least _hinting_."

Katherine gaped at her.

Molly sniffed, "That's right, I said it… _lovers_."

Katherine rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to hint anything to anybody. In case you hadn't noticed, these are very uncertain times and very hard on everyone… especially Remus. Quite frankly, I'm just happy to be with him. If we end up getting married, then we get married, and if we don't then we don't. I see absolutely no reason to have to _prove_ to everyone that we love and are loyal to one another with a ceremony and a piece of paper."

Molly gave a disapproving look, "I don't understand you young girls."

Katherine gave her a haughty look, "And I don't understand you old girls."

They both glared at each other, then shook their heads and dropped it.

"So does that mean you don't want to marry Remus?" Molly asked tentatively.

Katherine huffed, "Oh please, you're smarter than that. I would be happy to marry Remus, I just really don't mind either way as long as we end up spending the rest of our lives together. Besides, I really just don't want to force anything on him. Not now, or ever."

Molly snorted, "Trust me, men like to have women force things on them."

Katherine rolled her eyes, "Remus isn't _men_. He's himself." She stood up and walked to the line of clothes, taking out a dress. "This one."

Molly smiled and nodded in approval.

--

"Now, all we have to do is let this simmer until tomorrow night. I assume you can trust me to finish that part of the potion without your aid, and that you'll remember it?" Severus asked, giving her a look.



Katherine rolled her eyes, "Yes, I think I can handle that."

He sniffed, "I'll take your word for it."

She chuckled and shook her head.

After a few moments Severus asked, "Have you… _seen_… _it?"_

"You mean, Remus in his wolf form? No, I haven't. This month will be my first time."

He raised his eyebrows, "You mean… you're going to see the transformation? Willingly?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, is there a problem."

He sniffed, "Not at all. There really is someone for everyone."

She gave him a look, "Do you really want to go there? Because I can go there."



He narrowed his eyes at her, "No, I suppose not."

She sniffed, "Good."

--

George helped Katherine apparate to Diagon Alley where she would meet Remus at the café.

"Thanks George, remember that if you need some help with that realtor that…"

"I should go get my mother and leave you and Remus alone." He laughed.

She pinched his cheek, "Such a smart boy."

He laughed and grinned at her, waving as he left, "Have fun!"

"Thanks!" As she was turning she ran into a man who was only slightly taller than her. "Oh, I'm sorry!"



He looked down at her, frowning, and then he looked shocked.

"Are you alright?" She asked curiously.

He blinked and then said, "Yes… yes, I'm alright."

She nodded and smiled slightly, "I like your hair. Emerald green?"

"Slytherin green…" He said.

She chuckled, "Alright then. Have a nice night."

He touched her shoulder as she made to move away, "You have a pretty smile. A cat smile."

"Oh… thank you." She said, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "I have to go now, my boyfriend's waiting."

He let go of her, "Alright. Have a nice night…"



She smiled slightly, then walked away quickly towards the café.

--

Remus was dumbstruck when he saw Katherine walk into the café. Her hair was styled, she was wearing makeup, and she was wearing a royal purple velvet dress that hung on her like a second skin.

He stood up as she got close, and she hurried to him and immediately hugged him.

He hugged her back, "Hey… hey… what happened?"

"Nothing I suppose… just… this guy… he kind of freaked me out." Katherine said from against his chest.

He kissed her forehead, "It's over now. Everything's okay. Let's forget about it and have a nice dinner, alright?"

She nodded.



Remus pulled out the chair for Katherine and then took a seat himself. He smiled and said, "I thought about ordering for us, but I figured you might kill me."

She smiled slightly, forgetting the creepy feeling the man gave her, "Oh no, of course not; maiming at the worst."

He laughed and took her hand.

She smiled at him.

"So why are you dressed so… uncharacteristically? Not that I mind, really, but I thought you might wear that blue cotton dress tonight instead of… uhm…"

"Looking like a woman on the hunt? It was Molly."

He laughed, "It figures. Well, you look beautiful, love."

"Thank you, you look very nice yourself." She grinned at him.



He smirked, "You're biased."

She grinned, "So are you."

He reached out and caressed her cheek, and the look on his face mirrored the one on Katherine's.


	48. Chapter 48

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J.K. Rowling (although all my original characters belong to me!) Nor am I making any profit from this story. However, I will attempt to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please comment! It is the only way I can know how you feel about my story.

--

Katherine prepared her kit and went upstairs to Remus' old bedroom, the room they'd designated for his transformations, where he was waiting for her. As soon as she walked in he picked up the kit, "If you don't mind?"

She shook her head and smiled.

He looked through the bag and started pulling out and examining things.

"I'll be right back with your last cup of wolfsbane. Don't mix anything together."

He gave her a look as she walked out the door and towards the stairs.

When she came back with the steaming goblet all the things in her kit were spread out over the bed while Remus was looking at a green jar of ointment as if it would bite him. Katherine smiled and then feigned annoyance and said, "You do realize I had that kit all organized before you turned toddler on it."

He looked up, embarrassed, before he saw her grinning at him. He narrowed his eyes at her and then smiled at her, "I was just curious. I couldn't figure out which potion was which, and what it was for."

She sat down next to him on the bed and picked up the green jar he was studying, "This is the ointment I use to make your muscle pain go away." She picked up a bottle, "This is what I use to help you go to sleep. Drink your wolfsbane already, you're making me nervous."

He leaned over and got his wolfsbane, kissing her on the cheek on the way back. "Thanks, love." He drank it down in one go, only grimacing slightly. "Do you think you could try and make it taste better?"

"Awww," She kissed him on the cheek. "I'll try, darling, but the thing about potions is that you can't just go around changing or adding ingredients; and with your potion it would be tragic if the extra ingredient to make it taste better stopped the effectiveness. Besides that, who would I test it on? It certainly wouldn't be you, and I wouldn't feel right about testing it on another werewolf… even if I knew another werewolf."

He smiled and rested his head against her shoulder, "Alright, I suppose I can accept that."

She kissed him on his temple, "Didn't Severus tell you something similar?"

"Yes, but you don't hate me so I'm more inclined to believe you." He said, playing with her hair.

She caressed his neck, "You know, you're too hard on him. He's not too bad when he's not in vendetta mode."

"That may be, however he's always in vendetta mode with me. Though… I suppose I deserve it in part. I wanted to apologize for what happened when we were children, and try to be on more cordial terms with him… unfortunately, we ended up interested in the same woman." He said, looking up at her.

"And what woman would that be?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, you wouldn't know her. Very sneaky bird, went from a brunette with brown eyes to a red head with blue eyes seamlessly while also becoming one of the more interesting Hogwarts professors."

"My! She doesn't exactly sound like the kind of person who should be influencing young minds."

"Eh, don't worry. She's retired now."

"Really? What happened?"

"It just didn't work out. Besides, her uncle was the headmaster and the two don't always get along well."

"How shameful!"

He took her hand, "Well, it's understandable."

"And you say you're interested in this woman?"

"Oh yes, I'm very fond of her actually." He smiled up at her.

She smiled down at him and leaned over to kiss the tip of his nose, "Good." She held him closer and rested her chin on the top of his head, "It's going to be moonrise soon."

He sighed, "Yes, I know. Are you sure that you want to be here?"

She combed her fingers through his hair, "I'm sure. Just prepare yourself, I'll be right here."

He kissed her softly before getting up and moving over to where he would change out of his clothes. While he undressed Katherine put all the potions back in the bag, stashing it somewhere the wolf wouldn't accidentally crush it. When that was done she looked over to where he was and smiled shyly, "Where do you want me?"

He smiled slightly and said, "Could you wait over there, just this once?"

She smiled compassionately, "Anything you need, darling."

A minute later the process started and Katherine watched Remus transform from human to wolf. It was an unnerving sight, and several times she had to keep herself from rushing over to help him when it looked like he was being seriously injured. However, she knew that he had been through this before and she certainly didn't know enough about werewolf transformations to say whether something was irregular or not; and so she stayed where she was.

When the transformation was over the wolf and Katherine just looked at one another for a long moment. Then the wolf padded over to the bed and jumped up next to her and put his head on her lap. She smiled gently at him and started stroking his ears, "Well, I'm guessing this means the wolfsbane works."

He leaned up and licked her chin.

She laughed.

--

They were lying on the bed, the wolf resting his head on her chest, both sound asleep when the morning transformation occurred. She let him writhe on her lap as he transformed, and then proceeded with her normal caretaking routine for after his transformations. Afterwards, she kissed him softly on the forehead and went downstairs to fix food for everyone.

"So, how did everything go last night?" Sirius asked as he came into the kitchen.

"As well as can be expected I suppose, poor darling; I knew that transformations weren't pleasant, but to actually _see_ one… and just imagine what he must go through!" Katherine said, shaking her head sympathetically.

"Yeah…" He sighed and said, "Do we have any tea ready?"

"Of course," She got down a cup and poured him some of the strong tea before handing the cup to Sirius.

He looked up at her over the cup before taking a sip, "This isn't any of that medicinal tea you fix for Remus is it?"

"No, I got another tea pot for that. Your whining finally did the trick," She said as she stirred the eggs she was fixing.

He stuck his tongue out at her before taking a sip.

She laughed and turned the sausages.

"So, is this going to be a regular thing? You staying with him during transformations I mean."

"If he'll have me."

Sirius smiled, "Of course he'll have you." He smiled wistfully.

She smiled slightly at him, "Are you alright?"

"Oh yeah… just remembering. Seems to be most of what I do these days."

She scowled at him, "Hey you, stop that. There is absolutely no reason for you to spend all your time remembering. You could have a perfectly full life if you'd stop being such a sourpuss and took up your life again."

"Says my fellow hermit," He raised his eyebrow at her.

She gently kicked him in the butt, "Shut up! At least I do stuff."

"Shagging Remus and making potions doesn't count as doing something worthwhile with your life."

"You're lucky I don't hate you, because I could seriously poison your food and nobody would be the wiser… or blame me, most likely."

"Bitch," He slapped at her.

"Bastard," She slapped back. She turned off the heat for the food and started making out a tray. After she'd served a plate for Remus and herself she made one for Sirius and handed it to him, "Try not to choke."

"Ha ha," He rolled his eyes and went to the table.

She took the tray upstairs to Remus, pushing the door open with her bum. She set the tray on the bed and combed the hair out of his face and kissed the top of his forehead, "Wake up, Remus. You should eat something."

He opened his eyes and smiled, "Morning."

She chuckled, "It's afternoon, actually. I postponed breakfast so that you could sleep, and you know Sirius only wakes up to the smell of food."

He chuckled and Katherine helped him sit up before placing the tray across his lap. "Thanks love." He kissed her cheek.

She smiled and then sat down next to him on the bed and took her own plate, but left her cup of tea on it.

"So… was last night alright?" He asked, looking over at her.

She nodded, "Yes, it was fine Remus. I just didn't like seeing you in so much pain."

He smiled slightly and pushed some hair out of her face, "Are you sure you want to make this into a regular thing."

She smiled, "Of course, if you don't mind."

He smiled and shook his head, "I like having you there."

She smiled, "Good, because I like being there." She rested her head on his shoulder.

There was a long silence between them, though it wasn't uncomfortable, until Remus broke it by saying, "In fact, I've really liked having you around all the time, not just during transformations. You've made this one of the happiest times of my life, if not the happiest."

She grinned up at him, "I'm glad Remus." She took his hand, "This has been the happiest time in my life as well, being here with you."

He kissed her temple. "Good…" He played with her hair for a moment and then said, "It's just… I was thinking…"

"Yes?" Katherine asked, scooping up some eggs onto her fork.

"Everything we've been together, and you must admit we've been through a lot together…"

She swallowed and said, "Definitely. And we've always helped each other through it." She smiled and took his hand, squeezing it.

"Although we haven't technically been a couple for a very long time, we have known each other long enough to know one another pretty well… and know how well we go with one another…"

She looked at him suspiciously and tilted her head, "Have you been talking to Molly?"

"What?"

"Never mind..."

He cleared his throat, "Well, the thing is…"

"Yes?"

He sighed and took her hand, looking at her earnestly, "Will you marry me, Katherine?"

She blinked, surprised, "Huh?"

He nervously continued, "I know I'm not exactly what you'd call a great catch… but nobody could love you more than I do, and will… not that they couldn't it's just that I love you so much that… oh bugger this isn't going well… what I'm trying to say is that…"

She stopped him with a kiss, and smiled at him, "Of course I'll marry you Remus, and I love you too." She squeezed his hand, "There isn't anything I'd rather do than spend the rest of my life with you."

He looked surprised, but then brightened up considerably, "Really?"

She laughed, "Of course, stupid! And I don't want to hear any more of that _you're not a great catch_ business; I can't imagine anyone being a better catch than you are Remus. You're right; nobody could love me better than you do… I just hope that I get the chance to be there for you like you've been there for me… well, maybe not _exactly_ like you've been there for me."

They laughed and Remus leaned forward to kiss her. He smiled sadly and said, "I'm sorry that I don't have a ring for you."

She smiled and kissed him softly, "I always thought that engagement rings were surplus metal and rock anyway." She rested her forehead against his.

He smiled and caressed her cheek, "Don't hate me, but I'm really glad you came back. I can't imagine how my life would have ended up if you hadn't… and I don't think I want to."

"Trust me; you really don't want to know."


	49. Chapter 49

Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter world or the characters created to live in that world; they belong to J.K. Rowling (although all my original characters belong to me!) Nor am I making any profit from this story. However, I will attempt to portray them to the best of my abilities.

Please, please comment! It is the only way I can know how you feel about my story.

--

"I'm so excited! Don't worry, I'll help you plan everything… you'll barely have to lift a finger." Molly said excitedly.

"Oh, no you won't. There will be plenty of finger lifting for me, thank you very much." Katherine growled over her tea.

"But, don't you have potions to make? And a house to help repair…"

"Actually, I'm not making potions for them anymore." Katherine said softly.

Molly's eyes widened, "Why not?"



"Well… it seems that I've been doing so much good work on my potions… as well as Severus and Albus telling certain boards about my progress…"

"Yes?"

Katherine pulled a letter from her pocket and slid it over to Molly.

Her eyes grew even larger, and then she grinned widely, "You're a potions master now?"

Katherine nodded.

"This is wonderful, Katherine! Aren't you excited? You don't seem excited…"

Katherine shrugged, "It's just that I've been commissioned by St. Mungo's, as well as the order, to not only make but develop new potions that will aid the war… both in healing areas and… others. Apparently, they thought my reliving potion was brilliant and they want me to do more."

"And that's bad… how?"



"Because, first of all, I feel kind of bad that Severus wasn't asked to do that a long time ago. Secondly, I'm about to get _married_ Molly. This is a very large responsibility, but so is marriage and I just…"

"Feel like you'll be depriving your husband of your company too much, too early?" Molly asked gently.

Katherine nodded.

Molly chuckled and patted her hand, "Don't worry, sweetheart. What you do is you work while he's working, and then when working hours are over you're all his. I suspect that you'll be working on your own time, in home?"

"Well… yes…" Katherine said, seeming a bit more hopeful. "Remus says the same thing. He keeps telling me that it's a wonderful thing, me becoming a potions master, and that he's very proud of me and is sure everything will be just wonderful. However, he has a tendency to say things like that." She shook her head and smiled, "But, I'm sure he means it."

Molly winked, "Well then, there you go. Everything will turn out just fine."

Katherine smiled, "Thank you, Molly."

Molly gave her a soft look, "You know, Katherine dear… Arthur and I have been talking. If you hadn't noticed, our children have become very fond of you, especially the ones you taught." She smiled at her, "Not to mention the fact that we've become close, you and I, or at least I'd like to think so."

Katherine nodded, curious as to where this was going.

"And Arthur's come to like you as well, he finds you quite funny actually…"

"Not to rush you, Molly, but is this going somewhere?"

Molly nodded, "Well, we know that you aren't very close to Albus and Amory (not that I blame you much with what you've been through) and that you can't go home to your adopted Mum, and your parents are deceased…"

Katherine nodded patiently.

Molly straightened up, "Katherine, our family's been talking and we'd like to make you an honorary Weasley, with all rights and privileges included."

Katherine blinked, "What…?"

Molly smiled, "We'd like to be your family, so that you'll always have a place to call home; a place to run to if ever you have trouble."

Katherine just stared at her a moment and then smiled, deeply moved. She put her hand on Molly's, "I'd be honored, Molly. Thank you."

Molly grinned and grasped her hand, "I'm glad."

Katherine smirked, "However, you're still not planning my wedding for me."

Molly laughed and rolled her eyes.

"However, you can help." Katherine smiled.

"So, when is the wedding again?"

"In two weeks."

"What! How did that happen?"

"Well, let's see… as soon as I told Uncle Albus about the engagement he insisted on finding a location. That was fine with me, since I don't know the surrounding area all that well. It seems he has a friend who owns a castle, and that's where we're going to have our wedding and reception. Then he told Poppy about the wedding, and she insisted on providing the flowers for the wedding. He also just happened to tell a friend of his at the ministry, and they've offered to do the ceremony for us… as well as draw up the papers for a human to marry a werewolf legally. When Sirius found out he immediately went looking around and found a band for us, thankfully one that plays music that Remus and I like. The house elves at Hogwarts found out about the wedding and they talked to one another and decided that a couple of them should do the catering for the reception." Katherine chuckled and shook her head, "And, apparently, word spreads _very_ fast. The next thing we knew, people were calling us up and asking to come to the wedding… all of which were the people we planned on inviting anyway. In fact, the people who called were most of the people we were going to invite."

"Who hasn't been given an invitation yet?"

"You and Arthur," Katherine smiled.

Molly snorted, but smiled, "So, what you're saying is, I can't plan your wedding because it's already been planned for you? Yet you still didn't want me to plan it for you? I feel a bit insulted."

"Oh, don't be. I had everything run past me; you know looking at the castle and seeing the food they wanted to prepare and such, before I approved it. I want this wedding to be wonderful, it just ended up that way without me having to do much work." She shrugged and smiled, "But there are still things to do. Let's see… I have to pick out the china, the rings, and the outfits for everyone still."

"Who are your bridesmaids going to be, by the way?"

"Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, Ginny, and…" She sighed, "Cho Chang… don't ask, it involved begging."

"And who is your maid of honor?"

Katherine mumbled a name.

"What?"

Katherine gave a long suffering sigh, "Nymphie."

"Nymphadora Tonks? But I thought you hated her!" Molly gasped, shocked.

Katherine rolled her eyes and growled, "Yes, I do. With a vengeance. But she didn't really give me a choice! She heard me arguing with Sirius about how he was an idiot for not being willing to carry the rings for both of us and be a simultaneous best man and bachelor of honor, seems he thought that would be sacrilegious or something, and immediately volunteered herself."

Molly gave her a look.

Katherine sighed, "And… I guess… although I really, _really_ hate that bitch… she's also (in a weird way) one of my best friends. That's really screwed up, isn't it?"

Molly smiled gently and patted her hand, "Life is screwed up, sweetheart; and I have yet to meet a person who hasn't had a few screwed up relationships in their lifetime. At least you only have one that involves murder attempts as well as honored positions in your most important moments."



Katherine thought about it a moment, "That's actually not completely true… depending on what you'd consider murder attempts…"

Molly blinked, and then laughed.

--

"Yes, Uncle Albus, I've talked it over with Remus and as soon as we get back from the honeymoon I'll start work on the potions. You don't have to worry about it." Katherine grumbled over her lemon biscuit.

Albus smiled, "Oh, my child, I wasn't worried. I have complete faith that you will do everything necessary and more towards this cause. I was just asking about your plans. By the way, where are you planning on having the honeymoon?"

Katherine glared, "None of your business. The last thing I want is you butting in and making 'better plans' for our honeymoon. You've had your hand in everything else, not that I really mind, but we want our honeymoon to be just ours."



Albus nodded, "I can understand that." He paused for a long moment and then asked, "Katherine… would you like me to give you away? After all, I am the closest thing to a father that you have."

Katherine shook her head, "No, thank you, I believe you've given me away quite enough for one lifetime…" At Albus' hurt expression she sighed, "Listen, Uncle, nobody is giving me away. The only man who I feel that I belong to is the one I'm marrying. Therefore, it would defeat the purpose of me being given away now wouldn't it?"

Albus looked at her for a long moment, "That's not completely true, Katherine, and you know it."

Katherine gave him a questioning look, and then glared, "I do _not_ belong to him."

"Are you certain of that?"

"If I wasn't, then I wouldn't be getting married to Remus. He deserves better than that." Katherine said sternly.

Albus templed his hands and said, "There was a time you loved him, Katherine, and he you… no, don't try to deny it. You have a special bond with him, not that you don't have one with Remus (because you do, most certainly) however it's… different. I'm not certain a bond like that is broken so easily."

Katherine glared and stood up, "It's broken, shattered into a million pieces. At best, we're friends now. I love Remus with all my heart; he's the love of my life. I mean… not that I believe in this, mind you, but if I had to peg it I'd say he's my true love."

Albus nodded, "I'd have to agree."

Katherine sat down again, "Then are you getting at?"

"I've always believed that there was quite a difference between someone being another's true love, and someone being another person's soul mate. You cannot deny that Severus and yourself have a certain… magnetism."

Katherine heaved a sigh and then laughed a mirthless laugh, "I'd have to agree, Uncle. There's a good chance that Severus might be some kind of soul mate of mine. However…" She looked up at him seriously, "Although, I'm rather young and certainly not an expert in this sort of thing… I really wouldn't give a shit if some sort of deity came down from heaven and demanded that I be with Severus. Although, in a way, I will always adore Severus… he's not my love. No, you see, I've given it a lot of thought; and there's a difference between the two. There's a very _important_ difference between the two. With Severus… I'm drawn to him, like being around him, and at times I hang on his every word and 

move." She shook her head. "And he can hurt me deeply. Maybe, just maybe, if Remus wasn't around we might even work. However… "

She smiled, "With Remus… just seeing him makes my day at least bearable, if not an all out good day. He makes me want to be a better person, not to please him or anything but… just because he inspires me to it. He brings me happiness, tenderness, and contentment like I've never known. I would trust him with anything, especially my heart. He's my best friend, and we count on one another. Everything between us is so natural that sometimes I can hardly wrap my mind around it. And… if there was a time when he ended up in the deepest bowels of Hell I would happily go down there and pull him back up and into Heaven, without a second thought; just because he needed me to."

She looked Albus straight in the eyes, "I don't put much stock in soul mates, Uncle. Soul mates are pure chemistry, and are probably more like arranged marriages than anything else; they may grow to really love each other or they might not. But true love, they're people who choose one another out of everyone else not for convenience or anything else like that but because there's just nobody else who will do. For me, that's Remus; nobody else will ever do except for him… and all I can hope is that he feels the same way about me." She smiled, "Although I have it on good authority that he does."

Albus smiled, stood up, and hugged her. "You know, when you were a little girl and you met the boys for the first time… I saw the way you looked at Severus, and the way that Remus and you immediately bonded. At that moment, I just knew that you would marry one of the two." He pulled away and winked, "I believe you've made the right choice, you both were meant to be with one another."

Katherine gave him a look.

Albus laughed.


End file.
